The Sound of Heartbeats
by whotookmycheese
Summary: Rose jumps into the right Universe and finds the TARDIS but not the Doctor. She is forced to spend months with a man who calls himself the Master and finds out there is two sides in this man who hears drumbeat. Can she change what is to happen to the Doctor and Earth or does she has to watch close by as everything she loves turns into dust?
1. When Rose Found The TARDIS

A/N: I was thinking "what if?" and this came out. Sorry by any upcoming mistakes!

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who or any of the characters.

 **The Sound of Heartbeats**

 **When Rose found the TARDIS**

The usual nausea came after the view came clear. Rose took couple deep breaths and looked around. She was in London, so one part was right. There weren't zeppelins in the sky, people didn't have big wild cats as their pets, cars didn't fly, shoes didn't have tiny wheeles under them, there weren't a big, colorful screens on the walls of the bildings showing ongoing news. But that didn't actually mean anything, she had entered hundreds of normallooking universes. She walked to the nearest bin to find a newspaper. 11.10.2005, she rised an eyebrow. Rightlooking London and less than two years too early? She hadn't been this close the right timeperiod before. Now she needed to find out what was going on in this universe to know if it was the right one. She turned around and her eyes met a notification in the nearest streetlamp.

'Have you seen Rose?'

She swallowed. Well then, it was the right universe. And a really, really bad timing. Because in 11th of Octobre in 2005 she had still been a missing person. And if she would be seen now, all the timelines would change, and that was a bad, bad thing. She needed to go back right now. She needed to make a few changes into the timelines of the dimension cannoon and try again. She needed to...

And that's when she saw it. Right in front of her. The Tardis. She stared at it, hoping she could see inside it. How was she supposed to know which time period this Tardis was from? Which Doctor was driving it? Was it one of hers? Someone much earlier years? Someone from the future? She knew she wouldn't be there because they had avoided coming into the 2005 London knowing she was a missing person there. So what harm would it do if she did knock? If it was a wrong Doctor she could just say... she could hide her face and tell what the problem was and then leave. The most important thing was, after all, that the Doctor would know. She took a deep breath and knocked three times.

Knock knock knock.

She waited. Nothing. How long would it take from the Doctor to climb up from his librarypool, dry himself, get dressed and come to the door? She took the key and played with it. It could be that he was somewhere else and the Tardis was empty. Then what would happen? And what would happen if he was there, or there was some other him? She shook her head and before she could find any other reasons not to do it she put the key in the hole and opened the lock.

The door opened.

She stepped in and smiled. At least it was familiar Tardis so it was propably either of her Doctors. She walked slowly up the ramp. She felt the TARDIS in her head more powerfully than ever. Normally it was just a light consiousness, now it felt like pressure. She frowned.

"Hello old girl", she said. "Something wrong?"

She laid her hand gently on the coral. And that was when the collisterbell started to rang. She looked around in worry.

"What is it? Is it the Doctor?"

How she wished the TARDIS could speak! She turned around and went to the door to get outside just in case. When she laid her hand on the doorhandle she heard the lock click.

"Good evening", said a voice and Rose spun around. There was a young, blonde man standing in front of her, smiling weirdly.

"Where's the Doctor?" Rose asked, automatically.

"I'm the Doctor", the man said.

"No", Rose answered immidiately, without any hesitation.

"Well I regenerated", the man snapped and waved his hand, like regenerating would be just something he did every other day. Rose stepped a bit closer to look at him. Last time it had took her some time to see that behind those new brown eyes looked the same person as behind the blue ones. Last time it had took some time to realize that the cool hand was different yet exactly the same. Last time she had fought against it but still realized that the man wearing pinstriped suit and really great hair was the same one with big ears and leatherjacket. She shook her head.

"You're not the Doctor. Where is he? Who are you? Why do you have his Tardis?"

"I am the Doctor", the man said again, not so calmly anymore.

"No", Rose said firmly. "I know the Doctor. I know the man behind the face and you're not him."

The blonde man frowned and smiled then, a manic smile, but not manic the way the Doctor used to smile. This smile creeped Rose out but she forced herself to stay put and look him in the eye.

"Okay then, let's play smart. I'm not the Doctor. I'm not some kind of gobbly, sugary man hopping around with his limps and hair and teeth. I'm much more than that. I am the Master."

Rose blinked. She had heard about the Master. The Doctor had told her about one of his nemesis. A time lord who had gone insane. A man who had tried to kill the Doctor more than once. The memory of those stories didn't calm her down at all.

"The Master", she repeated, and although she tired really hard she couldn't keep all the fear away from her voice.

"Indeed."

"What did you do to the Doctor?" Rose asked, fearing the worst.

"Oh, that's not fair. I should get a question as well! It's my turn! I told you who I am. So, who are you? I've met several of Doctor's 'companions' as he likes to call you lot. All those earthgirls during those years. You're not one of them, that I can tell. So, you must be someone quite new. But! as you're not with him in the end of the universe he must've dumped you earlier. That's so him, abandone girls when he gets bored with them. So, who are you?"

Rose felt goosebumbs run up her spine. The way this man spoke... and the end of the universe? That sounded bad. But now wasn't the time think about that. Now was the time to get out from the TARDIS so she could go back to the parallel universe and try again.

"What do you care? I'm not with the Doctor anymore. What does it matter who I am?"

"Oh, he cares them all. I've always wondered that love of his to you humans. He and his precious Earth! So if I know who you are I can tell him that you're all safe with me."

She forced herself to smile.

"Yeah? Well, in that case... I'm definitely not going to tell you who I am. Find out yourself. And if you ever do find out who I am, well, it just might be he isn't gonna believe you. Anyway, I better go now."

She took a step closer to the door.

"Is that so?" the Mater asked, reaching quickly to take a hold of her wrist and pullin her closer. Rose kept herself still and look at him.

"And why is that, exactly? Oooh, you should be dead, right?."

Rose remind silent.

"I don't like this game", the Master said, turning his back at her and walking to the controls. He seemed to search for something.

"So, you're have the Tardis and the Doctor is... where was it? In the end of the universe? So, what is your plan now?" Rose asked. If she had learnt something from the Doctor, it was to keep people talking.

"Like I'd tell you."

"I happen to know that bad guys just love to share their evil plans with someone. I could be that someone. I've been that someone several times. Once there was a werewolf telling me how he was about to rule Great Britan!"

While talking, she looked around to find a way to escape. She send a silent wish to the TARDIS but had nothing back. She was likely forced under the Master's command.

"Oh, am I the bad guy? That is so much fun!" the Master looked up behind the control and closed his mouth for a while, he seemed to enjoy the thought. "Bad guy with an evil plan. You're right. I do have an evil plan. I'm going to rule the Universe, starting from Earth."

"Right", Rose said. "So you're planning an invasion. Very original. Mind you, you're alone. Pretty hard task. You step out of those doors and there's the Torchwood pointing a gun at you."

"Torchwood?"

Oops. Rose snapped her mouth shut.

"What's Torchwood?" the Master asked, stepping a few threatning steps closer. She raised her chin to show that she wasn't scared. And she really wasn't. The Doctor was coming, she knew he was. Maybe not right now, it would take him some time to find a way to get back from the end of the Universe, but he was coming. And as the Master stopped right in front of her she reminded silent.

"You know I could drag that information out of you? Dig your brain until you wish you wre dead? Didn't need even that. A quick visit would do..."

He raised his hands towards her face. She spat on him. That stopped him. Slowly he wiped his face and glared at Rose. His grip was thight. It hurt and Rose winched of pain.

"Listen to me, blondie", he hissed throw his teeth. "You do that again and I take care that you will suffer and die before the Doctor can save you. You hear me?"

Slowly, without any other way out from his grip, Rose nodded. The Master smiled and patted her head.

"Good girl. Now I'll take you to your prison. You can wait there until the time is right. And before it is, we are going to have so much fun."

A/N: So. Here is the beginning. Tell me if you want to read more, will you? Thnak you!


	2. One Hell of a Girl

**A/N** : Thank's for the favorites and follows! Here's chapter two. Hearing your opinion would be great!

 **Disclaimer** : I don't own anything.

 **One Hell of a Girl**

Rose was pushed into a smallish room, the door was closed and locked. She stubled back to her feet and ran to the door.

"Let me out!" she yelled smacking the door. It didn't open and she wasn't surprised. She wondered whether the room was soundproof. She had never visited that part of the TARDIS. Was the room some kind of a prison? Did the TARDIS have a prison? Rose knew that the ship created and deleted rooms itself, it had made her room when she came aboard. Was this room made as her prisonsell? She looked around. The room was about ten feet wide and eight feet long. There was a narrow bed, a desk and a chair. The walls were completely white. Rose sighed. She hated white walls, she had been stareing one for months, trying to find a way to break it into pieces. She pulled up her sleeve to see her dimension cannoon. It was fairly small, much smaller than those ridiculous yellow buttons they used before, and looked a bit like a very modern clock. It was still about nine minutes until it had power to make another jump. Although Rose doubted it would work. She was, after all, in the TARDIS. And nothing could break in or out of it. If someone could jump there with a device like hers she and the Doctor would have died hundreds of times.

"What do you think?" she asked from the TARDIS. "Does it work?"

Lights dimmed and she felt an apologetic touch in her mind.

"It's not your fault", she reassuared. The lights came a bit lighter, like the ship had felt better for her forgivness.

"I know you can't let me out", she whispered to the sealings. "But could you paint my walls?"

The lights came a bit lighter. Rose watched in awe as the paint startet to spread across the walls. The TARDIS made a landscape. A forest and a lake. The sky was red as sunset, turning into purple and nightsky blue. The roof was full of stars. It looked like the view lived, the leaves waved in the brief wind. She sighed. Somehow she knew the nightsky above her was a real one.

"Thanks, old girl", she muttered, caressing the wall. She rounded the small room several times, waiting for the dimension cannoon to load itself. When it finally buzzed to tell her it was ready she rised her wrist in front of her eyes.

"Wish me luck", she muttered, closed her eyes and pressed the button. She hoped the room would turn around, her head spin and all her muscels go limp. But none of those things happened. She sighed, took the device off her wrist and hide it under her pillow. She sat on the bed, pulled her feet up, knees against her cheast. She buried her face and started to cry.

In dream she opened the door to the TARDIS and the Doctor was leaning against the controlpanel.

"There you are! Come on, I have so much to show you!"

He hopped around the console, pushing buttons, changening settings. The TARDIS rattled, sparks flew.

"Where are we going?" Rose asked.

"To the end of the Universe!" the Doctor said. Only he wasn't the Doctor anymore but the Master in his clothes. And he started to laugh.

"I can dig it from your mind!" he said. Rose ran to the doors and started hitting them.

"Doctor! Doctor!" she cried and woke up to her own scream. She looked around, breathing heavily, and tried to calm herself down. The Doctor was coming. She knew it. The Doctor was coming and would be there soon. And this nightmare she hadn't expected would end. Slowly she fell asleep again.

She woke up when the sun played on her face. For a moment she thought she was still in her bed in the wrong universe and had forgot to close the curtains. She opened her eyes and closed them again as the light was too bright to bear. She opened them again. And remembered. The landscape on the walls was the same but it was morning. The sun was rising behind the forest. Little waves were caresing the sand. The sky above her was bright blue. She kicked the blanket off and stretched her aceing muscels. She walked to the door and was just about to try if it would open in some miraculous reason when it opened. The Master stepped in. He was wearing a black suit.

"Hello!" he announced as he closed the door behind him, looking at the landscape around them. "Ah, the TARDIS has made some improvements for you."

Rose backed off.

"Ohh, don't run away", the Master said pouting mockingly. "You're making me sad." He throw a simple black dress, stockings and a tunic to the bed. "Dress up. We're going out. You're gonna be my wife."

Rose snorted. How stupid was this man?

"Not gonna happen", she said.

"I can make you", the Master reminded. Rose shook her head.

"Still. You have to kill me."

"Oh but I can do much worse than that. If you're not coming with me I promise that when the Doctor arrives I'm gonna kill him slowly and make you watch it. Then I'm gonna let you live with the thought you could have stop it."

Rose took a deep breath. He was bluffing. Right?

"How do I know you don't kill him if I come?" she asked.

"You don't."

She picked up the dress and looked at it.

"Good that this isn't really my taste," she said, tossing it away. 'Cause I'm still not coming. Letting me out of the doors is more dangerous than you know."

"But why?" the Master insisted. "What are you afraid of?"

"Twisting the timelines", Rose answered. She squeezed her hands into fits as the Master stepped closer.

"Really? Are you out of your time?"

Rose shut her mouth. Something flashed in the Masters eyes.

"Now I'm done with this", he said. Then he jumped forward and pushed her against the wall. She tried to strugle but as the Master laid her fingertips on her temples she stilled. It hurt. Only thing she was able to do was the thing the Doctor had once told her to do if someone was messing with her mind. She imagined doors and closed them. She heard the Master laugh and realized she had closen her eyes.

"That's not working with me. You know I can kick your mental doors in when ever I like?" the Master taunted. Rose bit her tounge as he did. The pain wasn't just in her head, it run down her spine, throw her whole body. It felt like she was burning inside out. She opened her mouth to scream but nothing came out exept a small whimper. She was dying, she knew she would die. And she would never see the Doctor again, would never be there to warn him. And it would mean the end of everything. This time the scream came out and it wasn't because of the pain but of anger and desperation. She saw smoke, heard crying, and old man in a wheelchair looking really familiar and around all that she heard the Master's voice sayin "I've got the Rose".

"No!" she yelled. And at that moment the Master cried out, let go of her head and shook his hands like he had had a burn. Rose collapsed to the floor, panting heavily. Her head was achening and everything looked yellow for a moment. For a long time the Master didn't say a word. Rose looked up to see if he was still in the room. He was. He stood still and stared at his hands. Slowly looked up at her.

"What are you?" he asked a silent thread in his voice.

"W-what?"

With three long leaps the Master was in front of her. She stood up quickly, room spinning in her eyes.

"What are you?" he repeated, showing his hands to her. She looked. Red, painful looking vesicle were rising in her fingertips and palm. Rose gapped at them.

"Did... did I do that?" she whispered. Suddenly the Masters hand was on her throat, pushing her against the wall.

"What are you!" he shouted more than asked. "I can't enter your mind! No humans can close their minds like that! You are not a human, so what the hell are you!"

"I don't... I don't know."

She looked straight into his lightbrown eyes. There was anger but also fear, even panic. She felt his confusion flus over her. His eyes got wide and she dropped her, pressed his hands on his head. He looked so pityful and scared that even though Rose was scared and even angry she also felt sorry for him.

"You alright?" she asked, stepping closer. The Master straigtened his back, eyes wondering like he was searching something.

"Master?"

"I must go", he said surprisingly calm. It looked like he didn't care for her anymore. "Things to do, universe to conquer. You stay here! I'm going to find another wife."

He left. Rose dropped to her knees, touched her forehead. The headache was easing but still hammered her temples. She tried to think what had happened but was too tierd. She stumbled to the bed and fell asleep before she hit the blankets.

She didn't expect him to come to her that night and was right. The TARDIS gave her some food and a bathroom and she wondered whether the Master told her to or was she just rebellious.

"Thanks", she said as she stepped out from the shower and the door dissapeared. She dressed up and sat on the bed, leaning against the forest on the wall.

"You think he's gonna be here soon?"

The TARDIS didn't answer and she took that as an 'I don't know'. She smiled sadly.

"I think he will. Within a week we're both free. How do you like that, girl?"

A humm was all she got but she didn't expect more. She yawned. She was so tierd she wondered if the Master had put some sleepingpills in her meal.

"The next week, at the very least", she murmured and laid down. Oh, sleeping would do so good. She yawned again. Her headache reminded of itself. She closed her eyes.

A picture of an old man in a wheelchair poppen in front of her.

The man was wearing the Doctor's clothes.

She shot up in the bed eyes wide. What was that? Why had he seen it? Was the Doctor... But he couldn't be. Could he? She shook her head to make herself believe it couldn't be so. No, the Master had said that the Doctor was hopping around. Surely he couldn't hop if he was in a wheelchair. But why had she seen him like that? She pressed the ends of her palm to her eyes. It was all so confusing and her headache got worse. She pressed the thought in the back of her mind. She was too tired to think of that now. She would think it later. After a good sleep. She laid back on the bed and closed her eyes. When she woke up she had no memory of the image that had troubled her so much the evening before.

On the second day of her captivity she noticed that the view on her walls was propably one that exsisted as it had started to rain. She didn't really want to look at the walls where it rained. She bit her fingernails, measured the room three times, laid on her back with her feet up and slept. The Doctor was coming, she told herself. Not long and he'd be there.

On the third day she spent alone in the room she decostruired her chair to get a nail out of it.

On the fifth day she had just finished her dreary breackfast when the Master came in.

"Good morning Rose Marion Tyler."

Rose turned her head to the Master, who was holding a paper asking 'Have you seen Rose?'.

"Oh, you found one. Good for you", she said drily, turning back to the wooden table she had started to scraped pictures with a nail.

"Now, tell me, Rosie, is this why you are so scared to go outside? I'd hate to mess up with the timelines."

Rose gave him so angry gaze that he stopped smiling.

"There is only one person who can all me Rosie", she said poisonously.

"Oh, let me guess. The Doctor, perhaps?"

"No", Rose answered. "Jack Harkness."

"You mean that supersexual man who can't die?"

Rose paled and turned to a better position to face him.

"What do you mean, can't die?"

"You didn't know? Well, I overheard him and the Doctor speaking about how he can't die. What happened, he asked. And you know what the Doctor answered?"

He showed her the notification again.

"Rose."

Right then she was sure she'd pass out. She felt her heart stop beating, breath was stuck in her throat.

"No", she whispered. Tears were so close to drop but she swallowed them back. "How?"

"Something about abrosbing the timevortex. Very brave, I must say. That kills. No one could survive from that, not even a time lord. So. You must be one hell of a girl."

Rose didn't answer. Thousands of thoughts flew in her mind. Why hadn't the Doctor told her? What else had he not told her? He had only said that she had destroyed the Daleks and that he had taken the timevortex out of her. Wait, what had the Master said? Even a time lord couldn't survive from it? Was that because... She swallowed heavily. She knew the Doctor had taken it out of her and died but had she caused it? The thought stung. She loved her Doctor in brown she did, but the thought of causing his previous self's death... Her thought were interrupted by the Master who came to stand next to the bed.

"So tell me, Rose Tyler, how did it feel? How does it feel when all the world is in your hands, that you can rule the universe, stop the time, take and bring life as you please? How does it feel?"

Rose looked at him and all the sadness and horror and shock in her turned into determination.

"It kills", she said simply. "Didn't you just say so? No one can survive it. Not even a time lord. You should never dream of a power like that, Master. So stop it before it's too late."

"It's already too late", the Master said. "I've already taken my first step towards my victory. Oh, and I know what Torchwood is!"

Rose winched and squeezed the nail in her hand so hard she felt her skin break.

"I think you don't like them, do you? Why? Have they done something? Are they going to do something?"

"There are lots of reasons not to like Torchwood", she said, letting go of the nail and standing up. "But I'm not going to tell you anything. You don't want to mess with timelines, yeah? So don't."

The Master smiled almost fondly at her.

"Good to know I can trust you", he said nodding to the nail. Rose looked at it too.

"I'm not a killer."

The smile on his face grew.

"No, you are not. You're a surprising woman."

He turned and walked to the door.

"Oh, and just to let you know, I've found a woman who will propably marry me. I just need to show her something first. Lucy, her name is. Lucy and Harold Saxon. How do you like that, Rosie?"

She took her glass and threw it at him but he stepped aside just in time and laughed as he closed the door behind him.

"Harold Saxon", Rose whispered herself. No, oh no no no. Harold Saxon had been a candidate for prime minister of Britan after Harriet Jones had been deposed by the Doctor. And everyone she knew wanted to vote for him.


	3. Paper and Pens

**A/N** : Thank you all the followers, favorites and comments! They made me very happy. I'm trying to take this to a direction I haven't seen yet. Hope you like it! Please R&R so I know if you like it (or don't like it).

 **Disclaimer** : Doctor Who is still not mine.

 **Paper and pens**

Rose lost her sense of time rather quickly. The TARDIS showing her day and night didn't help as she lost her interest to count after ten days. Her trust to the Doctor had started to trumble. Once she had waited her five and half hours. That had been the longest time she had ever waited for him to come back. Until now.

She had covered the whole table full of pictures until the end of second week.

She had never been a reader but she wished she could have a book. If the Master was tryign to drive her crazy he was succeeding.

She kept wondering what was happening in the other universe. What were Pete and Mickey and Jake and all the other members of Torchwood doing? Were they worried that she hadn't returned or just assumed she had found the Doctor and stayed as she had told she'd do? Because they knew that what ever was happening to the universe hadn't stop happening since she was gone. No one had come for seacrh, at least not to her knowledge. She hoped she could end them a message but what would she say? If they'd come to find her the Master would propably use them against her. She thought that over and over again, thinking every opportunity possible, but it didn't change the fact that she was held in the TARDIS against her will. A thing she had never thought she'd end up thinking.

########

But one day she rised her head as she heard the TARDIS's engines to start. They were moving. Oh no they were moving. She stood quickly and ran to the door, tried to the doorhandle. To her surprise it opened. She stepped out and watched both directions. No one, but the Master was ofcourse in the controlroom driving. She headed there silently, stopped on the doorway to watch the man in a grey suit landing the ship.

"There is it", he said to someone she couldn't see. "Where the world is going. Come on and I'll show you."

The footstepd went down the ramp, the door opened and closed. She went to the consoleroom to look at the screen. There were the gallifreyan marks that she assumed would tell her the place and time if she knew how to read them. The view that was shown was dead, grey and dark. She moved to the door and opened it a bit.

"End of everything my dear", the Master's voice said. Lucy, Rose understood. He had brought Lucy to see the end of everything. But why?

"It's dark", the husky woman voice said.

"All the stars have died. This is all that is left. There is no Utopia. There is only death."

Rose closed the door and walked up the ramp to return to her room. But she was too slow and was chaught.

"Rosie!"

She stilled and turned.

"I told you not to call me that", she hissed. The Master turned to look at the blonde woman behind him.

"Told you she'd say that", he said amused. Rose turned to see Lucy. She was a young woman who was dressed as an older one with a red tunic, a kneelong pencil skirt same color and black higheels. Her hair was on a stylish bun and her makeup flawless.

"Lucy", Rose said slowly. "Do you know who this man is?"

"He's Harold Saxon", she answered. "He's an alien. He's going to rule the universe."

"And... and that's okay with you?"

"I saw what was out there. Everything is falling apart. There is no use."

"No use of what?" Rose questioned. "To live? To love?"

"Yes", Lucy answered weakly.

"You're wrong", Rose said. She looked at the Master. "You're both wrong. There is always something. I'd think you'd seen enough to tell that's true, Master. The whole universe is still out there! You can't just give up!"

Lucy looked at her like she wasn't sure what to think anymore. Rose walked to her past the Master who stared at her like he'd never seen a human before.

"Listen to me", she said taking her hands in hers. "There's so much good in the world. So much people who love and deserve to be loved. There is so much _life_. He doesn't care that but you do, don't you? You don't want to see everyone to die because the universe will end in trillions of years?"

Lucy seemed to wake up from a deep dream. Her head snapped up and she pulled her hands away from Rose's.

"Don't tell me what I should feel or do", she said coldly. "I've made my decision and it is to stand by my future husband."

She walked to the Master who wrapped her arm around her waist and kissed her.

"Go back to you room, Rosie", the Master said. Rose made a final, desperate look at Lucy before leaving the consoleroom. The Doctor should come soon, before it was too late.

#######

Rose was laying on the bed and reliving her adventure with the Doctor and Charles Dickens when the door opened.

"You should congrats me", the Master proclaimed. "I'm a married man. I am spoken for, tied myself to my better half, in a holy matrimony and sacrament, wedlocked and all those things you call that thing."

Rose didn't even bother to open her eyes.

"You could at least made it known you are listening."

Rose kept her eyes closed. Maybe the Master would think she was sleeping and go away. She had been in that bloody room ovet a month now and was so sick of being there that she was ready to go outside even if it would cause a chatasrophe.

"Spoilsport", came a childish comment. Rose glanced at him with one eye. He kicked the chairleg on the floor and looked at the table full of scrawls. She closed her eye again.

"I think you're making a mistake", she said.

"How?"

"By marrying Lucy."

"She knows everything."

"Yeah", Rose said and sat up. "But she's a human. And she's a woman. You do something she thinks wrong, you hurt her in any way, and you loose her. She turns against you. And that's when it all ends falling apart."

She stood and walked to the Master, stopping right in front of him. He looked at her confused and worried.

"Think again Master", she begged. "Think just one more time, always one more time, before you go doing something bad."

The Master swallowed visibly. Rose felt that she was very close of the breaking point.

"Because you know what? The evil never wins."

She saw it happen behind his eyes. Something changed, a shadow landed, a curtain was pulled over. He seemed like he heard something Rose didn't.

"Master?" she asked and he focused on her again.

"No-oh", he said and all that had been there was now gone. "You won't sweet talk me out of this. This is my battle, my victory!"

"Against what?" she challenged.

"Doesn't matter! Shut up!"

And he almost ran out of the room.

########

The next morning Rose woke up there was a pile of paper and pencils on the table.


	4. The Drumbeat

**A/N** : Thank you for all your follows, favorites and commensts! Keep them coming. I only try to make myself a better writer, so any comment will help me with that :)

There's something wrong with my g so if they are missing I'm really sorry. I've tried to find them all but you know what they say about coming blind to your own mistakes.

 **Disclaimer** : No, still not mine.

 **The Drumbeat**

After the Master had gotten married he moved Rose out of the TARDIS into an appartment of some kind. She had a bigger and more comftorable room with a wide bed and even a TV but she still missed the TARDIS. She missed the feeling in her head that she wasn't completely alone. Here the door was locked as well, and behind the windows there were bars. Like she'd jump down from the third floor, she thought after watching down. She had taken the dimension cannoon with her but didn't dare to use it. She wasn't sure if she was part of the events now, and if she was, leaving could be worse than staying. And she honestly believed that maybe, just maybe, she could make the Master to change his mind.

Rose never saw Lucy or hear her voice and sometimes she wondered whether she even lived in the same house. The time passed. The TV helped a little for Rose's boredom but even she couldn't watch same stupid shows day after day. When the Estenders began she wondered what her mother was doing right then. In this universe she was propably worried sick, not even able to watch the show. She still got a sting of guilt thinking about that, even though she knew it wasn't her fault. And in the other universe? Maybe she was putting Tony to sleep. Or maybe she was watching the same show she did, only couple years ahead. What was the Doctor doing? Why hadn't he come yet? She had trusted him to come. She fell back on the bed and covered her face with her hands.

"Please Doctor", she mumbled, swallowing back the tears. "Please come."

The Master visited her every day, mostly just to bring her food. Sometimes he came to bragg; how he had made his breakthrow to Britan's politics; how he had won the trust of Torchwood; how he had made the world to believe he was successful person in every way.

"I've written a book", he told one day, sitting on an armchair with one of his leg hanging over the other arm. "Not really though. But people think I have. They are so easy to ductile. I just say I have and they believe it."

Rose rarely answered and he didn't seem to wait her to. Sometimes she thought whether he came to her room just to talk.

"Why are you here?" she asked on day. The Master paused with his endless speech about how he had met the prime minister.

"What?"

"Shouldn't you make these kind of conversations with your lovely wife?"

The Master laughed.

"You know, you sometimes sound exactly like the Doctor I met in the end of the universe."

Rose turned to look at him. It wasn't really the first time she'd heard that. Mickey had said quite often they were alike. Her mum had once or twicse murmured that Rose had changed and reminded her of the man she was traveling with. She had noticed it herself as well, like when trapped in the Cabinet room with Harriet Jones. She had learnt to joke in front of danger. She smiled warmly at the memory.

"Yeah, I know."

She met his eyes and he smiled, not that insane grin, not victorious way, but warmly. Then his eyes darkened and he looked scared.

"Master?" she said worriedly. She stood and walked to him as he looked around like haunted. "Master, can you hear me?"

It wasn't the first time it happened. Every once in a while he looked lost. But this was different, it was like he was in pain. Rose couldn't really tell why she was worried about him but she still was. She felt sorry for him just like she had felt sorry for the first dalek she had ever met. She knew, somewhere deep inside her, that the Master wasn't purely evil. That there was something good in him. He turned to look at her.

"Can you hear it?" he whispered.

"Hear what?"

"The drums", he muttered. He looked at her but it seemed like he didn't really see her. "The drums. I can hear them all the time. But now... Can't you hear them?"

Rose shook her head. The Master's eyes got focused.

"Never mind", he said and stood. "Lucy's waiting for me to join her to dinner."

He left. Rose looked after him. This was the first time he had ever really told her anything about himself. Not like she had asked but with the amount of time he spent in talking... Honestly, he was sometimes able to compete with the Doctor with his babble, she knew surprisingly little about him. And this little piece of information seemed important.

#######

When the Master entered her room the following day she kept watching him. He noticed it, ofcourse, and she was questioned about it. She shrugged.

"Just wondered whether you're feeling better today."

"Than what?"

"Than... than yestarday. When you heard the drums."

He arched his eyebrows. She rised her chin.

"Yes", he mused. "I did mention the drums, didn't I? The never ending drums. The beat that never gets silent."

He shivered.

"It's there all the time. But nothing else is."

Rose looked silently as he stood and walked to the door, turned and came to stand in front of her.

"Do you know why that is?"

"Why what is?" she asked. He didn't look angry but curious.

"The silence. Where are all the other time lords?"

Now they were here. She had wondered whether he'd ever ask about that. She had wondered what she'd say if he did.

"Well?" he demanded. "You know, you're silence tells me you do know something. You just don't want to tell me what."

She took a deep breath.

"I think you know", she said. "Think about it, yeah?"

A glint of madness rose into his eyes. He swallowed and turned away, started walk around the room with his hands behind his back.

"If I can't feel them in my head it means they aren't there to feel", he said as he walked. "But why? Oh! The Time War!"

"Were you in the Time War?" Rose asked. He stopped.

"Yes", he said in a broken voice and started to walk again. "Then I wasn't anymore. I ran. They wanted me as their solider, to fight in the front line. But I'm a coward, Rosie, and I ran and never looked back. Turned myself into a human just so no one could find me and take me back," he sighed. "The war is over, isn't it? Someone stopped it. Someone... the Doctor, right? The Doctor stopped it. He destroyed Gallifrey, the time lords, the daleks... didn't he?"

Rose didn't answer.

"Didn't he!" he shouted and brought his face against hers. She blinked and one tear dropped to her cheek. He leaned back, dropped to his knees and buried his face into his hands.

"Gallifrey", he muttered and winched violently like someone would have scared him. Rose kneeled in front of him and laid her hand on his shoulder. She could almost feel his grief.

"Let me hear them", she said softly. He raised face and she saw the tears glimmer in his eyes.

"W-what?"

"I know you can do it", she said. "Let me hear the drums."

He looked at her for a while. Then he rosed his hands and let them hang in the air.

"Are you going to burn me again?"

"Not if you let the doors be", Rose said. He smiled weakly and placed his fingers softly on her temples. A four-beated rythm filled her head. It was constant and scary and somehow so familiar. Why was it familiar? She looked at the Master in his brown eyes and tears started to fall down her cheeks.

"I'm so sorry."

He let go and she couldn't hear it anymore.

"You heard it?"

"Yes."

They looked at each other for a long time.

"Am I crazy?" he asked pitifully.

"I don't know", she answered honestly and paused. She had thought about saying this earlier but wasn't brave enough. Now she breathed in and out two times before talking. "I think the Doctor could help."

The Master's back straightened, the sorrow and fear in his eyes dissapeared, and Rose knew it had been a mistake.

"The Doctor", he said slowly. "He's all you ever think about, is he? Well tell you what, Rosie? He isn't here! It's gonna take him over a year to come here, and when he's here it's all too late. So stop thinking what the Doctor can or cannot do. He can't do anything about this!" he pointed at his head. "And even if he could what use it would do? What would I be without it, huh?"

"Free", Rose said silently and his rage calmed. His hand dropped and he shook his head.

"Free", he repeated and gave a bitter laugh. "Freedom isn't something time lords have. We are never free."

And it was all so true Rose couldn't argue with it. Because she knew the Doctor and could tell he would never feel free, and he was the most free man she knew. So maybe the Master was right. But it didn't make it right and Rose knew she wanted to help him. There had to be a way to help him. And when the Doctor would come back, no matter how long it'd take, he would know how to help him.

#####

For the following week the Master came only to bring her food. Rose let it be and didn't try to talk to him. He needed time to think what she had said, she thought. And she needed time to think what he had said. Because he had said it would take a year for the Doctor to come back. A year! It made Rose feel sick. How could she take this for a year? She thought of using the dimension cannoon again but throw the idea away before it even started to form. She was in the middle of this mess now and propably the only one who could solve it.

#####

One day the door opened and instead of the Master and her meal Lucy came in. Rose dropped the pen and stood.

"Lucy", she said unsurely. "Hi."

"I broguth you your dinner", the woman said and handed her the tray. She took it silently and laid it on the table.

"What brings you here?" she asked.

"You should step aside", Lucy said coldly. Rose frowned.

"Sorry?"

"Don't pretend that you don't know what I mean. Harry visits you more often than he should. He stays here forever. You think I'm blind? I know what you two are doing in here. And you should stop."

What they were doing there? They were talking, or the Master was talking, anyway. What did Lucy thought they - oh. The idea seemed so ridiculous and absurd Rose started to laugh against her will. Lucy looked insulted.

"Sorry", Rose said and took a hold of herself. "No."

There was something scary about the blonde woman in front of her. She seemed so cold and calculating. She couldn't know what really was going on, no one would let that happen.

"Lucy", Rose started slowly. "Do you trust the Mas... Harry?"

"He's my husband", she said. "And you're his whore."

"I'm not his anything", Rose said. "He doesn't own me. Nor does he own you. You can leave. I'm sorry to say this but he needs you only to make his plan work. And when it's done he can throw you away."

"Maybe", Lucy said. "But he won't throw you away. You're too... valuable... to him."

"Yes", Rose said. "As a _weapon_. Listen to me -"

"I rather won't", she said. "Why would I? He comes here all the time."

"It's not like I invite him", Rose answered angrily. This woman was irritating her. She had tried to make her understand, make her see, but she refused to do so. Rose couldn't tell what she gained for all of this. She didn't seem to be poor and Rose was sure she had some kind of name in the circles. So why was she doing this? Lucy shook her head like she didn't believe her.

"Just stop it", she said. "I still have power over him, he still needs me like you said. Stop it or I will use it."

And she left leaving Rose feeling inexicable anxious.

#####

About a week afer Lucy's visit the Master came in a strange look on his face.

"I think there is something you'd like to know", he said.

"Yeah? Surprise me."

He took the remotecontrol and switch on the TV. News, she noticed. Behind the reporter was a picture of... she swallowed.

"...in Central London. Police reinforcements are drafted in from across the country to control widespread panic, looting and civil disturbance. A state of national emergency has been declared..." the reporter said.

An alien ship had crashed into Big Ben.


	5. The Day of Slitheen Invasion

**A/N:** Thank you again for all favorites, follows and comments! Keep them coming!

 **Fleur24** , you'll get the answer to your question later on!

 **Disclaimer** : No, I don't own anything.

 **The Day of Siltheen Invasion**

The alienship had crashed into Big Ben. It meant it had been six months since she had found the TARDIS. It meant the year she had been gone was over. It meant the Doctor was in the city. And so was she. That made her heart jump and she looked up. The Master smiled with all his teeth.

"Thought you'd be interested."

He turned off the tv.

"I guess the Doctor was there. What did he find?"

"Like I'd tell you", Rose said, still staring at the back tv-screen.

"I'm not gonna take part in that. It could get messy, specially if you were there and know what happened. Besides it would ruin my perfect evil plan. Just tell me so I don't need to find out myself. Is this invasion?"

Rose hesitated.

"Yeah", she said. "Slitheen."

"Uhh", the Master said, in disgust. "I keep Torchwood ready. I have no desire for the Siltheen to take my place as the new ruler of the Earth."

"Torchwood wasn't there", Rose said. "UNIT was. And I guess you don't have anything to do with them?"

"No", the Master said. "I guess they know about me. I don't want to let them know I'm here. That's not a part of my plans."

He looked at her.

"So, what happens?"

"People think it was a hoax."

"Of course they do."

It felt like a shared moment of glee. Rose turned her head away quickly. She shighed. Thinking what was happening out there right then made her feel restless and misrable. The Doctor was so close now, she knew where to find the TARDIS, and yet she couldn't leave the house, not even if the Master would let her.

"I came back home today", she said, hoping the Master would take her thoughts somewhere else with that. "He was supposed to take me there twelve hours after he picked me up. Was a bit late. Mum was a mess. Everyone thought Mickey was behind it."

She smiled sadly, fingering the small whole in her sleeve.

"Who's Mickey?" the Master asked.

"He was my boyfriend back then. Before... anyway, they were pretty mad at me. And I couldn't tell them where I had been because who would've believed me?" she laughed a joyless laugh. "And then that happened."

"Ah, Michale Smith", the Master mused. "He was suspected of your murder, wasn't he? See, I have followed how the investigation goes on. Pretty badly, if I'm honest. But can't blame them, you didn't leave any marks."

The Master had sat down and looked at her a smile playing on his lips.

"Mickey was the only one who knew. Treated him like crab, I did", Rose said sadly. "Never deserved him. He's better without me."

She turned to look at the Master.

"How about you? You never had anyone special?" Rose asked. It slipped out before she could really stop it. It seemed normal thing to ask. She snapped her mouth shut and blushed. The Master snorted.

"Me? No. It's not us, to have someone 'special'."

"Oh. Alright."

They were silent. Rose's thoughts were drifting away, to the Downing street, thinking how she had been, once again, ready to die for the world. And how the Doctor hadn't been sure whether he should let her. She smiled sadly by herself. She hadn't thought about it then but later it had become one of her most cherished memories.

"So the Doctor saved the day?" the Master asked and cut Rose's thoughts. She smiled.

"Yeah, he and Mickey together," she paused. "And I'm never gonna see Micks again."

"Why?"

Rose looked at the Master a small frown on her face. Surely the Master knew where she came from, although he had never mentioned it. But then again, why would the Master be interested of Mickey's destiny?

"Same place I was six months ago. And the almost two years before that. Although it propably wasn't that long time in here. Can't really say though. Could've been longer. You can't really tell while jumping."

She spoke fast and avoided looking at the Master. Speaking about jumping and her life in the other universe made her feel bad, for herself yes, but mostly for them who where left behind. Her mum. Once again.

"Michael Smith is in the parallel universe as well? Why didn't I know that?" the Master said. Rose shrugged.

"Because it hasn't happened yet. And he will be in the list of the dead."

"List of the dead?"

Shit. She had spoken beside her mouth again.

"Never mind that now", she said waveing it away with her hand like the sentence was a fly.

"Who else is in there?" the Master asked. "There is someone else, isn't there? You wouldn't look so sad if it was only your ex-boyfriend."

Rose scowled at him, waiting him to laugh at her of her stupid attachment to others. But he looked almost empathic, like he knew how she felt. And maybe he did, he had lost Gallifrey just like the Doctor.

"My mum", she finally said. After saying it out load she really needed to fight against the tears.

"I'm sorry."

She looked at him surprised. He watched at her silently.

"Why haven't you asked how I get out from there?" Rose asked to change the subject. "Weren't you afraid I could use the same way to get out from here?"

"I know how you got out, you think I couldn't see you in your room in the TARDIS?"

The idea send goosebumps up her spine.

"But you didn't know who I was back then."

"I thought you had some kind of vortex manipulator with you. Didn't really care though, as it didn't work. And now, well, you have had your changes to leave but you haven't. So maybe it's my turn to ask, why?"

"I was scared", she said and realized it was true. "I was scared that if I went back and tried again it wouldn't work anymore. That I wouldn't find the Doctor. That your plans would take the chances away from me."

For a split secons she thought of telling the Master why she had had a change to return after all and why it was so important to find the Doctor. But she didn't. He wouldn't care. A silence followed her words and she leaned against the wall and crossed her legs on the bed. She looked at the roof.

"Today, in the night, I pack my back and tell my mum I'll be back in ten seconds. Wasn't. I didn't even want to be. All of the universe was there to see, why would I have wanted to go home? There was so much to see, so much to give. And you're going to take all of that away."

Her tone didn't change at all in the end, it was the same dreamy voice she spoke with when she remembered her travels. But the Master stood up.

"I'm not going to _destroy_ it", he said. "Just to rule it."

"How will it be, under your command?" she wondered mostly to herself.

"Does it matter?"

"Guess not", she said shrugging, her eyes still fixed on the roof. "Guess nothing really matters anymore. You're going to rule the universe anyway."

"What would you like it to be?" he asked suddenly. "Under my command?"

Rose moved her eyes to look at him. He suddenly looked so tierd and so scared that she once again pitied him.

"Honestly? I wouldn't want to be under your command at all."

"Then you won't", he said simply. "I will guarantee to you that you'll be free from any commands I am to give to you."

Was he mocking her? She couldn't tell. And as he left after these words she couldn't even ask. She smiled a bit. Well, at least she was sure now that there was a soft spot inside the Master. She couldn't tell if he would give up with his plan but at least he might not do all the horrid things he was planning to do. She switched on the tv and watched the news of the suspected body of an alien. Maybe she could get a glimbs of the Doctor on tv.

#####

The day crawled slowly. Rose checked the time ever so often to see what was happening right now. Had they found the pig yet? Had she met Harriet Jones? Had the Doctor joined them? Had they already learnt the Siltheens plans? She hid her face against the pillow when clock hit the time for the missile to hit Downing Street. Time for them to hide in the closet and hope for the best. She breathed slowly out, feeling the pillow get hot and moist but didn't move her head. The Doctor was out there for few more hours. If she would use the cannoon to jump to the other TARDIS she could find him and tell him what was to happen. And then... and then what? She would tell the Doctor that she was Rose from the future, after they had lost each other, and now she should go back to be imprisoned by one of his long-term enemies? She laughed against the pillow and had to rise her head to catch breath. No, she had to stay here and wait for the Doctor to come. He would come within a year. Just thinking of that wiped the laugh from her face and she started to cry.

#####

The Master brought her dinner and a paper.

"Alien Hoax", he proclaimed, waveing the paper. "UFO hit the Big Ben, Downingstreet exploaded and they are thinking it was a hoax. I mean, how blind humans are?"

Rose didn't react and Master's grin died.

"Rosie?"

"Could you go away?" she mumbled. "Please?"

He seemed to hesitate, opened his mouth, closed it and opened it again. Then he nodded and left.

#####

 **A/N** : Still hoping to get your rewievs :)


	6. How Long?

**A/N** : Hey guys! Thank you all your favorites, follows and comments! You are making my day every time I got one of those. So keep them coming, will you!

I think I have to raise this to M, just in case, and because it's going to get a bit more heavy when it goes on.

 **Disclaimer** : No, I still don't own Doctor Who.

 **How long?**

Never had the time moved so slowly. Not even before Rose had met the Doctor. She remembered those times they had spent locked up somewhere and the Doctor had started hopping around, getting impatient about staying still. The longest time they had spent like that was a week, one week, and the Doctor was climbing the walls before even half of it was over. And Rose had been here, locked in the same room, for months. And there were more of those to come. One day she had asked the Master to bring her scissors so she could cut her hair. The dyed blonde was growing out and after she cut it away her hair was shorter than she remembered it ever been. She wasn't the fan of the color either, even though Jack had once said brown was hot. But that was just so Jack so she had ignored it.

Jack. She had avoided thinking about her friend. Mostly because thinking what had happened to him, what she had done to him, was so painful. He couldn't die. How long had he lived? Could he ever die? What if someone killed him, did he just come back to life? What if he would end up beheaded? Would he be something like Face of Boe? That kind of thought would have made her laugh if it had been anyone else in the question. She should have asked the Doctor why he had left Jack behind. She was still going to ask about it when the Doctor would come. He would come, he wouldn't let the Master do his evil plans and not try to stop them. She trusted on him, always had and always would. But why did it have to take so long?

#####

One night the Master asked her if she knew anything about an earthquake in Cardiff.

#####

She looked out of the window and tried to think if it was the day the TARDIS had brought her home. She didn't know what day that had been, how much after the Cardiff incidence, so she could only quess.

#####

The Master told her about Archangel Network and Rose got chills as she remembered how it had been a world wide network and everyone used it.

"I can put the drumbeat here", he told. "In their phones and laptops, and that's how it's going to be everywhere. They don't notice it and I can still keep the strings in my hands. Oh, they're going to love me!"

#####

The Master told her that Harriet Jones was elected as Britans new prime minister. He had been surprised.

"I mean, I had never heard of her before", he said.

"She's great", Rose said. "She was with us in Downing Street."

"Really?"

Rose felt that telling it hadn't been the bestest of ideas.

#####

"Some kid has just sprayed on my front door words 'Bad Wolf'. You could think they have better words to write."

The Master seemed quite offended by his. He was, after all, a minister. But to Rose it was a sign. If the Doctor had told her the truth and she had indeed scattered the words around the universe, surely she had also seen this coming? She just didn't remember it, like she didn't remember anything that had happened after she had opened the heart of the TARDIS. So, if there were words 'Bad Wolf' on the Masters door then the day the Bad Wolf revealed herself couldn't be that far away. Not like it mattered, really, because after that it'd take months until it'd be Chritmas and Harriet Jones would loose her job and the new election would start. There were months and months until the Battle of Canary Wharf would happen. And after that... who knew how long the Doctor had been without her? How long in his time, how long in Earth's time? It all started to seem so very confusing she stopped thinking about it.

#####

Rose could tell the Christmas was coming when they started showing all those every-year Christmas shows in the television. She felt herself getting more and more impatient. The day of Doctor's regeneration, his illness, was so very close.

And when the Snowman began she knew.

The Master came in and switched the channel.

"Hey!" Rose said. "I love that movie!"

"And have propably seen it hundred of times", the Master said. "There's more important program coming."

"And I've seen that one as well", Rose groaned. "Let me watch It's a Wonderful Life."

In the tv she saw Harriet Smith speaking to the public, appeal to the Doctor to come. She remembered it so vividly it brought tears to her eyes. She knew that right now she was at home, crying, because she thought the Doctor was dying, that the Doctor had left her all alone. Like she was all alone now. She shook the thought away. This time the Doctor hadn't abondened her, nor had he back then.

"Why isn't the Doctor coming?" the Master asked from Rose. "There's people standing on the edges of roofs all over the world. The bloody prime minister is asking for him to come. Where is he?"

Rose wiped tears away and the Master frowned.

"You were there, weren't you?" he asked. Rose nodded.

"Yeah, we... he... the regeneration went a bit wrong. He was sick," she swallowed. "Don't you dare to think of doing something to him!" she snapped quickly. The Master gave a dry laugh.

"Why do you think I'd do that? I need him to come and fetch me from the end of the universe. No, he's safe as long as I need him to be safe."

Rose looked at him in suspicious so he rised his hands in the air.

"I promise", he said seriously. She turned her head back to the tv screen. She had been so desperate back then. Soon after the speech of Harriet Jones she had moved the Doctor into the TARDIS. Soon after that she had found out that this man was as much the Doctor as the previous one had been. Soon after that she had found herself falling for this man even more than the man he was before. She felt her heart pounch loader and quicker and closed her eyes fore a while.

An old man in the wheelchair. Smoke. 'I've got the Rose!'

A phone rang and she opened her eyes buzzled. What had she seen? The Master answered.

"Yes", he said. "I'll make sure that Torchwood is ready if there's need."

Rose looked at him and understood. It hadn't been just Harriet Jones. It had been the Master as well. The Master had shot down the Sycorax ship. And there she was, right in the middle of it again, and this she could make it undone. She could ask the Master not to do it. Then the Doctor shouldn't have need to depose Harriet Jones, and there wouldn't be need for a new election and Harlod Saxon wouldn't be a candidate and... but she shouldn't. Should she? Wasn't this what the Doctor did all the time?

"I know what I'm doing!" the Doctor had said when she had tried to save her father's life.

Okay, maybe this wasn't something someone else than the Doctor did.

"Rosie?"

She startled and looked up. The Master was looking at her, frowning.

"Sorry? You said something?"

"No, but you still looked like you wasn't listening."

"What does it matter if you didn't say anything?"

The Master raised his eyebrows in surprise. On tv the people on the rooftops suddenly got clear and startet walking off the roofs, mumbling. Rose's pulse thickened. The Doctor was awake. Once again she hung on the idea of him being so close and yet so so far away.

"Well than, I'll leave you to it", the Master said. "I need to contact Torchwood anyway."

He waited for a while his hand on the doorhandle. She didn't answer but moved closer to the tv like she could step throw the screen into the sycoraxship. She only heard the door to close.

#####

That night Rose didn't sleep a blink. She turned around in her bed, kicked the blanckets away only to pull them back on, she put the pillow on her face, under her knees and throw it to the other side of the room, got up and fetched it back. She tried to count the sheep althought counting the sheep had had a new aspect after the Doctor had showed her where the whole counting the sheep had origilanny come from. Finally she stood and went by the window, looked how the ash was floating down, thinking that couple months from now the Doctor would come and pick her to their new adventures. And about half a year later they would be seperated. She leaned her forehead against the window. She tried to do some math. The Master had said it would take the Doctor over a year to come. She had been here for over a half a year. In this summer the she would end up in the parallel universe. So half a year to the Canary Wharf. And after that... who knew? Did even the Master knew? She rubbed her face in frustation. How long?

#####

"You said it takes over a year to the Doctor come", Rose interrupted the Master as he was telling her about the mischieves of Harriet Jones. "How can you know that?"

The Master seemed to consider his answer.

"The Doctor locked the settings of the TARDIS so I can travel only between two places and times. The end of the universe and this here. But, because I'm clever, I could make a bit of a leap. He might think it's year and a half but it's actually more than two years."

"More than... more than _two years_?"

She was shocked. How long had she been here? Over a year? Yes, there had been two Christmases. So if the leap was over two years...

"Do you mean it'll take another year to the Doctor to come?"

"Oh, don't sound so dissapointed. Don't you enjoy your time with me?"

Rose didn't answer as she never did when it came to this with the Master.

"You do speak a lot of the Doctor" the Master said mockingly. "Why is that if I may ask? Do you miss him? Do you _looove_ him?"

She felt her cheeks to heat up. Master's mockery changed and he seemed rather angry.

"You _do_! You love him! How have I missed this?"

He came closer with an evil smile on his lips and for the first time in months Rose was a bit scared of him.

"Tell me, _Rosie_ , when did you first start to love him? When he put you in front of danger? When you almost died for him? When he was ready to kill you to save some planet that meant nothing to you? When he left you in that parallel universe? When was it, Rosie, that your heart started to bounch for him?"

She swallowed and blinked to hid her tears. The Master's smile grew, his eyes glimmed.

"Did he answer your feelings, Rosie? Did he tell how soft your hair is? How deep and beautiful your eyes are? Did he ever kiss you like he didn't want to do anything else? Did he ever tell you he felt the same?"

Right then Rose couldn't help it, no matter what she did; she started to cry. The cry was sudden and violent and made her dizzy. For a moment she completely forgot where she was. She felt someone to wrap one's arms around her and felt a wave of confusion and fear and something so strong it hit the air out of her lungs. She pulled away.

"Don't touch me!" she yelled throw her tears. They weren't only for sadness but also furstration and anger. The Master stepped backwards, looking utterly shocked.

"Rose. Rose? Rose, what is it?"

The hid her face into her hands. She felt a childish need to say that he was unfair and stupid and mean. She felt an urge to hit him hard on the face. She wanted to kill him in the spot. She wiped her eyes angrily.

"It's not your buisness whether I love him or not", she spat. All the sorrow was gone and there was only despite left. Had she thought there was something good in this man? Yes, and she had been wrong. The Master was purely evil man and he didn't deserve her help nor her pity. She shot a look at the Master so full of hateret that he paled and backed off.

"Rosie?" he asked again, nervously. That was the straw that broke the camel's back.

"I told you never to call me that! Leave!" she shouted, standing up. Her head started to ache. Room started to get blurry. The Master backed off, now horrified. He opened and closed his mouth but no voice came out. Rose couldn't tell where all the rage came from, it was like it wasn't really her. The all she saw was yellow and orange and gold and she was drowning into the brightness, her head ached, her muchels were burning. She saw a darkskinned woman standing on a hill, she saw Jack tied up in a dark room, she was how her mother stood on the graveyard in her husbands gray, she saw how small the Earth was, how small the universe was. She could kill the Master with a snap of her fingers, a blink of her eyes. No, she didn't need even that, only a thought and he'd be dead.

And then it went black.


	7. The Worst Day, Again

**A/N** : Hello my lovely readers and thank you once again for your favorites, follows ans comments!

As you saw I needed to fix the timelines a bit. But it's not my fault! BBC has forgotten one whole year. And yes, I do mean the year Rose was missing. Just do your math :D

I love reading your comments and opinions so keep them coming!

 **Disclaimer:** Guess what? I still don't own anything!

 **The Worst Day, Again**

Weirdlooking spehers were flying around and shooting screaming people on the ground.

"We want mister Master!" one of them demanded.

An old man in a wheelchair looked up straight at her.

"Rose", he whispered in a broken voice.

She screamed and sat up. It was dark and she was on her bed but didn't remember going there. Her head was killing her. She rised her hand on her forehead to feel if she had fever. But her forehead was cold and sweaty. What had happened? The last thing she remembered was her shouting at the Master and him backing off like he saw a ghost. And then... and then what? Had she just passed out? Why? She rubbed her eyes and saw black and red circles dilate and contract. The lock cliked and she jumped up. But the man coming in wasn't the Master. He was tall, muscular man with strong features, a stubble and short black hair. Rose stood still and opened her mouth.

"Who are you?" she asked. Because this could be the Master, all she knew. But it still didn't feel like he was the Master.

"Thomas Huston", the man said cooly. "Mr. Saxon hired me as you guard."

"He... he what? Where is he?"

"That isn't your buisness."

"Why did he hire you?"

"That's not your buisness either."

Rose arched a bow. Now this man was rude. He put her breackfast on the table on was leaving.

"Wait, Thomas! When will th... Harry come? I need to talk to him."

"I'm mr. Huston for you."

"Sorry. Mr. Huston. When will Harry come?"

"Mr. Saxon will come when he's free to come. That's nothing you should worry your pretty head with."

Rose was getting irritated. She stepped closer to the tall man.

"Listen, mate, I really need to talk to him. So you better tell him I've got something to say."

Huston moved his hand lower and Rose saw that his fingertips touched the gun in a holder.

"Mr. Saxon told me to shoot if necessary. I don't know why he thinks you as a threat but I'm still not holding back because you're a woman or because you smile sweetly. So you better back off."

Rose did as he said and sat on her bed. Huston clicked his neck, opened the door and left.

What had happened? Why had the Master suddenly, after one whole year, decided to hire a guard? A terrifying thought came to Rose's mind. Headache, yellow and golden glow, amnesia. Could it have happened again? No, she hadn't opened the heart of the TARDIS so she couldn't have absorbed the timevortex. But the Master had told Huston to shoot if necessary. And he himself seemed too... scared... to come. Had she tried to kill him? Surely not. Right? Her headache went worse and she suddenly was afraid of it. What if it was the same that had happened before? What if the Doctor hadn't got all of it out from her? What if she was dying? The thought flew around her mind so quickly she couldn't catch them. She laid down on the bed, closed her eyes and consentrated on breathing. Breath in, hold your breath and blow all the troubles out. It was something a therapist in the other universe had told het to do. It felt ridiculous and rarely worked but she was used to do so anyway. In, hold, out. Slowly her spinning mind started to calm down and she fell in a restless sleep.

#####

The Master didn't come that day, nor did he come the day after that. Huston brought Rose's meals three times a day. She tried to appeal to him, beg him, threat him and once, when she was very desperate, even seduce him, but he didn't bend. He was cold, distant and hardly spoke. In the end, after three long weeks had passed, she gave up. Now she noticed that as little as she had liked the Master to come to speak with her it still has brought some change into her days. Now nothing happened. She ran out of paper and asked Huston to bring more but he didn't. She slept most of the time, not because she was tired but because then the time went faster. She waited for the summer to come, watched how leaves turned deep green, narrowed the window and breathed in the fresh air. She missed being outside. She missed feeling the grass under her feet, the wind on her face, the sun on her skin. She missed feeling someone to touch her. Her dreams were fuzzy, about people crying and spheres flying around shooting everything that moved. But sometimes she dreamed being in the TARDIS with the Doctor, just sitting there and holding hands. She found those dreams relaxing, like it was all she ever wished for, although she had had musch more... interesting... dreams about him before.

####

The day it all changed started quite normally. Huston brought her breackfast, she ate it while watching the television, she turned it off and tried to sleep again. Something appeared into a room. A humanoid figure, black and blue. It hoovered in the corner. Rose was up in her feet and running to the door before she even realized she was moving. She slammed the door with her palms.

"Master!" she cried out in horror. "Master!"

Panic arose, her heart was bounching painfully hard.

"Master!"

The door swung open and she almost fell on the floor, stumbled and ran to the hallway.

"What is it?"

The Master looked worried, pale, and Rose pointed at the room. She was shivering and no sound came out of her mouth.

"Th-there's a... cyberman... in my room", she whimpered.

"What?"

He went to look. Rose leaned against the wall and slide down, still shivering. Yes, she knew that the cyberman in her room wouldn't be a cyberman in quite a long while. But it didn't really help as seeing that monster only brought memories so painful into her mind that she couldn't do anything but cry.

"That's not a cyberman", Master's voice came from her room. "That's a... well, I don't know what it is, but it's definitely not cyberman. I don't think it's dangerous. It just... is there and. Oh, now it's gone."

Rose blew out all the air from her lungs. The Master came out and kneeled next to her, laid his hand on her arm. She pulled quickly away and shook her head, tried to calm down her galloping heart.

"It is a cyberman. There's millions of them out there, all around the world. And they are just waiting for the people get used to them and start to think that they are their dead relatives or some other bullshit."

A picture of her mother telling her exitedly that granddad was coming for a visit flashed in her mind and she shook her head again.

"And then they start to kill and everything goes wrong."

"Where are they coming from?" the Master asked. Rose snorted and looked up into Master's brown eyes.

"Why don't you ask your little friends from Torchwood?"

#####

It was all in the news. Ghosts, they said, and people were scared and screaming and running away from the blue and black creatures walking among them. And it happened again, twise that day, and Rose was stareing at the screen. Now she wasn't surprised at all that her mum had blamed the Doctor not to be there. She couldn't blame the people for being scared. She hoped that they had become earlier. Maybe then they would have had time to stop it before it excaliated and ran out of Yvonne's hands. Maybe then the War of Canary Wharf would have never happened. Maybe then she and the Doctor would have never been seperated. It was so very easy to start that horrible game of 'what if'. The game she had played so often. Mickey had told her to stop it, to move on. He hoped she'd move on with him. Even after three years of being in the universe where she didn't exist he still loved her. She could call him stupid if that wouldn't be exactly her situation with the Doctor. Her mum had told her to 'stop thinking about that man, it isn't good for you'. And maybe it was true, that back in there thinking of him wasn't the best solution. Thinking of him stopped her to try and move on. But thinking of him also was the only reason she kept going and didn't just give up. Like now when she stared at the news of the cybermenghosts walking on the streets. If there was something good of the worst day of her life closing it was the fact that by that also the day of their reunion was closing. And that, and only that, kept her going.

#####

That night the Master brought her dinner. He laid it on the table and turned to look at her, hands behind his back.

"So", he began. "I talked to Yvonne Hartman from Torchwood -"

"Oh, she's a lovely lady", Rose said dryly.

"- and she told me that they had found something rather interesting", the Master ended not givin any attention to Rose's interruption.

"Let me guess. There was a whole in the world and they desided to poke it?"

"I didn't say it was a good idea", the Master defended himself. "I actually think it is the worst idea ever. That could put the whole universe in danger. More than that, several universes!"

"Do you care if the world collapses?" she asked. The Master looked at her like her question was absurd.

"Of course I care!" he said. "How can you even ask that?"

"Okay, it came out wrong. Would you care if the world would collapse if it wouldn't put your rulership in danger?"

The Master looked at her very long time and Rose started to think whether he was hearing the drums louder again. Then he came closer and sat next to her on the bed.

"You must think me as a monster", he said silently. She had, actually, but now that he said it out load she didn't think so anymore. She shook her head slowly.

"No, not a monster. Just a man who is very afraid."

A silence fell between them. Rose turned to look at him.

"You just ditched me", she said quietly. She was surprised how bitter her voice sounded.

"You didn't leave my much choices."

"What happened?" Rose asked desperately. He looked surprised.

"You don't remember?"

She shook her head.

"You started to glow gold", he said and paused, seemed to consider what to say next and decided to stay quiet. She turned to look at her fingernails.

"I'm scared", she confessed. "I didn't... I mean I couldn't stop it. Felt like someone else had stepped in and pushed me aside. Like..." she shook her head again. "And you didn't come back, and I thought... When Huston came in..." she swallowed. "Because when... the Doctor..."

"You thought you made me regenerate", he realized. She nodded.

"Well, you didn't", he said.

"Yeah, I kinda made that out myself thank you."

He smiled weakly.

"I'm sorry", he said then. "I shouldn't have left you."

"Just make sure that cyberman doesn't come here again. I don't know how long they were in the picture before they showed what they really were. Wouldn't like to die like that."

"I won't let them kill you", he said immidiately. Rose smiled at him.

"Thanks."

#####

She waited in fear the cybermanghost to appear again. She knew they came more often, but the creature showed up in her room just twice during the following weeks. She had no idea if the Master had his hands on it, he never said anything. In the news, however, the creatures were mentioned daily. And it didn't take that long until the world started to believe they were ghosts of their loved ones who had come back beyond the grave to tell them - what? She had learnt that humans weren't brightest creatures in the universe, not even close. Far in the future they'd still be as blind and stupid. They'd fly into a planet under a black whole just because, as the Doctor had said, it as there. And now they thought that there were ghosts telling them absolutely nothing. Just hoovering around.

#####

For the first time the Master seemed uncomftorable to let things go as they should. He had started to come at her room again, just once a day, to talk of the happenings of the day. Like he used to before the incident. But this time he was more careful, and he never called her Rosie.

#####

"It's ghost time in half an hour!" the man in tv overjoyed. "And it's look very ghostly! Ring to the number you can see up in the right corner, right THERE! and tell us your ghost's story!"

Rose switched the channel.

"Oh Galeb!" a blonde woman in some soapopera said tearly, a ghost standing next to her bed. "I knew you'd come back to me, even from the dead!"

She swithced the channel again.

"- cups of sugar and mix. Put it in the oven for twenty minutes and I swear, your ghost will love it!"

The world had gone ghostmad. And soon enough they'd see how wrong they had been. The door opened and Huston came in. She didn't pay attention to him.

"Mr. Saxon asked me to inform you that he'll be off tonight", Huston said. Rose looked at him.

"Okay", she said and turned to look back at the tv again. Huston left. Rose took the trail and started eating.

About half an hour later a ghost appeared in her room. She stood up stareing it.

"Don't come any closer", she said warningly. And that's when it happened, the thing she had longed to happen and scared of happening at the same time. The ghost changed into it's real form. She screamed out load and took the empty trail from the table to use as a shield if nothing else.

"Huston!" she shouted but nothing happened

"You will come one of us", the cyberman informed her with his robotic voice.

"Yeah, sorry, but not gonna happen", Rose said, backing off towards the door.

"Then you will be deleted!"

The cyberman reached out his hand and Rose ducked away, ran to the other end of the room, holdin the trail up.

"Listen to me. I order you to stop and listen by the article... seventy three by the Shadow Proclamation and... the name of the Doctor and the daleks!"

The cyberman stopped, his hand raised in the air and while it seemed to consider what she had just said Rose ran to the door and started smalling it.

"Huston! Huston, dammit, open the door and let me out! I'm sure your boss wouldn't like to find me dead in here because you didn't mind opening the door!"

Nothing. The cyberman turned.

"You shall be deleted."

"Oh come on!" Rose groaned. "Not that delet-shit again. Huston!"

The door opened and without hesitation Rose slipped out and slammed the door shut.

"What do you think your doing?" Huston asked.

"Saving our lives you moron. Now come on!"

She pushed Huston towards the stairs when the door was kicked out and the cyberman stepped out.

"You shall be deleted!" it cried out, walking towards them hand reached out. Huston pulled out his gun and fired with zero result.

"Run!" Rose yelled but he didn't listen but continued fireing until he ran out of bullets. The cyberman was approaching, it was only two stepd away. One step away. Rose ducked under it's hand behind it, turned quickly and crashed with all her weight against it's back. It fell crashing down the stairs. Rose lost her balance and fell as well, hit her head against the floor or step or she didn't know what. She closed her eyes, felt how she was rolling down and there was nothing she could do. The she hit against something, maybe a wall, and falling stopped.

"Delet, delet", the cyberman said. Rose opened her eyes, her whole body was aching, she was sure that she had broken several bones, and saw the cyberman standing up and walking towards her. Now she would die. There was nothing she could do anymore. She would die and then everyone else would die as well. And she'd never see the Doctor again. A hot wave crashed throw her body. It started to get yellow again and she knew, she _knew_ what was going to happen.

#####

A man stepped out from a capsule of some kind, touched his face and raised his hands victoriously in the air.

An old man fell from the wheelchair and screamed in pain.

On the wall red numbers made their silent countdown to zero.

#####

Someone laid his hand on her forehead. The hand was cool and dry and steady. Like Doctor's. She opened her eyes and closed them again.

"Rose?"

The voice didn't belong to the Doctor and that confused her for a second before she remembered. She pulled away from the touch. Sharp pain hit her in her cheast and she groaned.

"Don't try to move."

"The cyberman", she tried to say but her moth was so dry the words were hardly recognisable.

"Taken care of."

"And... the Daleks?"

"Them too."

She opened her eyes again. The Master was on his kneels next to her. She tried to sat up and the Master took a hold of her arm, helping her to lean against the wall, and let go immidiately as she was comftorable enough.

"Are you okay?" he asked. Rose pulled her knees up and grimaces as it hurt to her cheast.

"Been better", she mumbled. "You?"

"The same."

She turned to look at him in surprise. There was a haunted look in his eyes that she recognaized from the Doctor. He had looked like that when they had faced their first dalek. His first dalek after the Time War. Just like the Master had faced his first dalek now.

"It's not easy, is it?" she whispered. "Seeing them after all the've done to you."

He shook his head.

"I'm sorry", Rose said.

"It's not your fault."

"Doesn't mean I can't be sorry."

"What are you sorry for, then?" he asked.

"That you had to go throw that, see them again. What they've done to you, what you've lost because of them."

In his eyes she almost see a human he could never be. Then he blinked and it was gone.

"Doesn't matter. Life goes on. So does my plans. I better take you to your room. I've called to a doctor to come and fix you up."

He stood, bend down and hesitated.

"Shall I carry you, or do you want to walk?"

"I'll walk", she said. The Master helped her stand and slowly she managed to go into her room and lay on the bed.

"They are still making the list of the dead and missing", the Master said. "But I guess for now on you're going to be on it."

Rose hummed in agreement and closed her eyes.

"I'll come back when the doctor arrives."

Rose opened her eyes and closed them again, remembering that this doctor the Master was talking about was a doctor with a small d.

"Okay."

"Do you need anything?"

"No", she said. "No, wait. Could you tell me a story?"

"A story", he repeated surprised.

"Yeah. Tell me a time lord story."

"Oh. Okay."

He sat down and thought for a moment, cleared his throat and began.

"Some time ago in the past or maybe in the future there was a kindom of Toclafane, creatures with hunger for adventures and exitement..."

Rose closed her eyes. She felt calm and somehow safe for the first time in months. She could have found that odd if she hadn't been so very tierd. The Master's words started to drift away. She fell asleep before the story ended.

#####

 **A/N** : I've been thinking that I MIGHT write a short one-shot from the Master's POV. So if you'd like to read it tell me and I try my best!


	8. The Last Months of Peace

**A/N:** Hello again my lovely readers! I'm so happy you have been with me this whole time. I hope you'll stay with me till the very end.

Thank you for the comments and favorites and follows. Keep them coming, I love having them!

 **Disclaimer** : If Doctor Who was mine, I'd threw the sonic sunglasses to... to somewhere no one would ever find them! So it's not mine.

 **The Last Months of Peace**

So the War of Canary Wharf was over, she was officially dead in this universe and in reality living in another universe, crying herself into sleep every damn night for the next months. She didn't know what day it was for the Doctor to use the last remaining gap to say his final goodbyes but she guessed it couldn't be that far in the future. Maybe it was done already.

Her collarbone and two ribs were broken and she had a sprained wrist and several bruises all over her body. The doctor with a small d gave her painkillers and a sling. He ordered rest and to call if anything came up.

Being stuck in the same room was awful. Being stuck in a room and being in pain at the same time was a nightmare. She couldn't sleep as her cheast hurt. She couldn't draw because her wrist hurt. So she just laid in her bead and felt sorry for herself.

#####

The Master tried to cheer her up. It wasn't easy for him, she could tell that. He didn't seem to know how cheering someone up actually happened. He told her about meeting professor Richard Lazarus and funding his expiriment with a genetic manipulator.

"It is supposed to make him years younger", the Master said. Rose shifted painfully.

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

Master's face fell.

#####

One day he brought her flowers and chockolate, which Rose found utterly confusing.

"You know, these are considered as a romantic gift", she said. She looked at the Master half of a laugh in her face when she saw the Master doing something she'd never expect him to do. He blushed.

"Yes, well", he stuttered. "They are also a gift for people in hospitals. I read about it. Humans do that."

Rose put the bucket down. In those words were so much of the Doctor that she felt a warm wave inside her.

"What do time lords do if someone they know is sick?" she asked.

"Time lords don't -"

Again. The conversation started to remind her of the Doctor more and more.

"Don't try that on me. I've seen one time lord getting sick. Surely that wasn't that rare."

The Master gave somewhat a laugh.

"Alright. Time lords bring them Karhonian."

"What's that?"

"It's a rock."

Rose rised an eyebrow.

"A rock", she repeated. The Master smiled at that.

"Yes. It's a certain yellow and orange rock that glows in the dark. It is supposed to put into a cold water and it melts there. Then you drink it. It tastes like... I haven't actually ever tasted it. But I've heard it tastes like honey and strawberries. So that's... that's what time lords brought to sick ones."

"Where do you get that Karon... kar..."

"Karhonian", the Master mused. "It's only find in one place. Gallifrey."

Rose lowered her gaze.

"Sorry."

"It's okay."

She looked at his wistful face.

"Tell me about Gallifrey", she asked. His featrues sharpened and he straigtened his back. Rose thought he might leave, but he only changed his position on the chair and opened his mouth.

"When I was a kid, before the Academy, I used to play in the fields. The sky burnt orange and the Mountains of Soulace and Solitude were reaching for the sky. Two suns shining from the sky, the Citadel stood there, showing the might and power of the time lords..."

He shivered.

"It sounds beautiful", Rose said. "I wish I could've seen it."

"The Doctor made sure you can't", the Master answered and there was a hint of bitterness and anger in his voice.

"All of the reality would've been destroyed if he didn't do that", Rose defended the Doctor. "And you know that."

The Master didn't answer and they fell into a peaceful silence.

"What happens next?" Rose asked.

"Well, the election is in the spring. And after making the Archangel Network public I think that there's no competition of who is the next prime minister."

"And after you've been selected? Then what?"

"Then, my dear girl, my rulership begans."

#####

The fall made the leaves glow in all their glory but Rose only saw it from the distance. She sat by the window and wondered what was happening out there. This was time she hadn't lived. The next time she'd be on the Earth would be in 2012. If that year was going to come anymore. During the nights she tried to see if the stars had started to die already in this universe but it was too hard to tell from the distance.

It took over four weeks for her to recover from her injuries. After that she started to work out. Somehow she felt she needed to do that, she needed to be in good condition. In case something happened. So, as she did all she could do with the little she got, in the end of October she was in pretty good condition. She knew she had lost weight, that she was unnaturally pale because of the lack of fresh air and her hair was in bad condition, but at least she didn't got breathless so easily. While waiting for the Doctor to arrive she thought of running. Soon enough se would need to run again. A lot. Hopefully at least.

#####

"That friend of yours, the guy who can't die. I just found out he works for Torchwood!"

The Master said it like it was good news, smile spread wider on his face. He threw himself to sit on the chair and leaned back. It was like someone had tied a rope around her cheast.

"What?"

He grinned and tapped the arm of the chair four times and pulled his hand quicky away.

"Yes indeed. He has a hub in Cardiff. Torchwood Three they call it. He's been running it since 2000."

"What?" Rose said again. Se couldn't believe what she was hearing. Jack was leading Torchwood? After all they had done? Hadn't he learnt anything while traveling with them?

"Oh, and he has a little group there. They might become handy."

"Don't you dare to do anything to them", Rose warned. "They haven't done anything bad to you."

"No, not yet they haven't", the Master said. "But who knows what they will do?"

"In any case. They're innocent."

"You do have a talent to defend people you have never met."

"Yeah, that's what you do when you have a heart. It's what you're meant to do. You're meant to help others, not rule them."

"Humans rule each others all the time", the Master pointed out. "You have kings and queens and presidents and despots."

"And what cost?" Rose asked. The Master frowned.

"Is this one of your 'evil never wins' speeches?" he asked. "Because if it is I'm leaving right now."

"I'm just answering your question", Rose said calmly.

"I wonder why the Doctor took you with him after all he has done", the Master said. "You, who are so ready to judge."

The words hit Rose like a maul. She knew she had never judged the Doctor. Or had he? Hadn't she questioned his doings more than once? Had she always been right to do so?

"I only want what's best for him", she said after a small pause.

"And me? Do you want what's best for me?"

"Yeah", she said. She felt tears gather into the corners of her eyes. "Of course I want what's best for you."

"Still you're trying to make me change my mind. Don't you see, Rose? It's everywhere."

Again his fingers hit the chair four times.

"How will this help?" she asked desperately. "How will this change anything?"

"I don't know!" he shouted. "But I've got to try!"

"Why don't you just let the Doctor help?"

He stood up so quickly Rose startled. For a split second she was sure he'd hit her. He clenched his fists. Then he raised his hands to his ears and squeezed his eyes shut. He kneeled down. Rose stood and kneeled in front of him.

"I'm sorry", she said and laid her hand on his shoulder. "I just... I just want to help you."

He raised his dark eyes to look at her. His lips moved but no words came out. Rose felt something like a question forming somewhere in her mind and frowned. She pulled her hand away and the feeling left. The Master stared at her wide-eyed. His tounge clicked eight times and he stood up again.

"I have an interview", he announced. "Better keep my profile up. Just in case."

His stepd were unsteady and he glimbsed behind him and frowned.

"What?" Rose asked but he only shook his head.

"Nothing."

#####

In the beginning of December the Master started to be so busy with his duties that he hardly had time to come and meet Rose daily. Huston was still her guard and still acting coldly. It was like she hadn't saved his life that day in the summer. He hadn't even said thanks. Rose tried to have a nice conversation with him. She asked if he had family or a girlfriend, fine, a boyfriend, but he never answered. She told him bits and pieces of her, thinking that maybe after seeing her as a human he would melt even a bit, but that didn't help either. Rose started to be convinced that he was actually a robot. So she asked him if he was and got a glare as an answer.

"That's not an answer, really", she said. "You could say something like 'No, I'm a human being and I do have feelings."

Huston didn't answer.

"Git", she said quietly before he shut the door.

#####

Rose was looking at some Christmas Consert on Christmas when the Master came in.

"Those songs get stuck in your head, you know", he said. "Imagine what's it like to me when there's Jingle Bells and the drums and they play in a different rhythm."

Rose turned the tv on mute.

"Better?"

"No, not particulary", he answered with a smile and sat down. Rose pulled her legs up to the bed.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Why are you here?"

"Can't I just come here on your wonderful Christmas Eve?"

Rose raised her eyebrows and the Master sighed.

"Fine! I came here to -."

But Rose raised her hand, took the remotecontrol and put the sound back on.

"...has been enchanted people by flowting in the Christmas sky", the reporter told. On the screen appeared a gigantic starlike something.

"That's not a star", Rose said moving closer. "That... that looks like a web!"

The Master looked as well and frowned.

"And you haven't seen this before?"

Rose shook her head.

"I'm dead, remember?"

"Right."

They looked as the star flew above London, stopped and then, ofcourse, it started to shoot people.

Spheres shooting everything that moved.

Rose stumbled and took a hold of the chair. The Master frowned at her and turned to look at the tv again. It didn't take that long for the army or UNIT or what ever to arrive and in less than ten minutes they started to shoot the star. And it exploded. Rose sat down, feeling weak.

"You think he's there?" she asked. "The Doctor?"

"I only saw humans shooting that thing down", he said simply. Then the reporter came into the scene again and imformed tham that Thames had been drained.

"Okay, he was there", the said in union. The Master grinned but Rose could hardly answer the smile. He had been there. Again. Now without her. And as the situation was over he had propably fleed already.

"I wonder if he was there alone", the Master mused sitting back down. "I know he hasn't found Martha Jones yet."

Rose didn't answer. She wasn't that keen on talking about Martha Jones.

#####

Rose tried not to feel jealous for the girl he was traveling with after her. She hadn't thought about it much but she had guessed he'd find someone else to travel with. After they had met Sarah Jane she had asked him to tell the others he had invited into the TARDIS. And there had been many. Susan, who had brought in Barbara and Ian. They were to thank that the Doctor loved the Earth. Jamie and Zoe whose memories the Doctor had wiped. Jo and Leela who both chose to stay behind for love. Romana, a time lady who had regenerated while traveling with the Doctor. Grace who... who Rose really didn't want to think about. They had all been so important to the Doctor and they had all left or been left behind. Why she wouldn't be on day some of them he never mentioned to the next one? She wondered whether he had ever mentioned her to Martha. She had asked what was there in her to make him say he'd never leave her behind.

"Because you're the one I asked twice", he had answered and she had blushed not really knowing what he meant.

But that was it. All the Doctor ever said about that case. If she ever returned to it he waved it away and said that all that mattered was who was he with now, not who had been there before. Rose thoguth it sounded like boyfriend-girlfriend -talk but never said it out load. She knew it would've freaked the Doctor out.

Now, on the other hand, she could not not think about Martha Jones. She had no idea who she was, how she looked like and how long she would be with the Doctor. What if she would fall in love with the Doctor? Well, she couldn't really blame her if she did. But what if the Doctor would fall in love with her? It wasn't like he expected Rose to return. And even if he did... he had never said... Anyway. Martha Jones would be with the Doctor within months and she needed to accept it as a fact.

#####

It was less than a week till the electionday when the television was full on special news telling that the hospital had gone missing.

"I saw that it rain over the hospital. But it rain upside down!" some passinger told to the interwiver.

"There was a... a lightning and it... it was just gone! I was just going there!"

"I was just talking with my sister", a darkskinned young woman said. "She's working in there. She's in the hospital right now, where ever it is!"

"It has to be extra terrastial!"

Rose looked at the news with great interest. She had a good guess that someone had moved the hospital away from Earth because they were doing something that was illeagal to do on the Earth. When Huston brought her dinner she asked what he thought and didn't get an answer.

"You should really train your social skills", Rose suggested, took a glass and sipped. "It could help you to get a girlfriend."

Huston left and Rose turned back to the tv. Someone, who wasn't even there, was telling how scared he was. Rose rolled her eyes. Then to her great surprise the Master was shown.

"It is terrifying, of course, but I believe that there is life out there and this proves it. I am sure the aliens are peaceful and are only trying to help."

"How is stealing a hospital full of sick people helping, minister Saxon?"

"I believe strongly that their intentions will come clear soon enough."

"What is the hospital is not returned?"

"Then I will take it as a great tragedy that will touch all of us."

Rose put the bread down and shook her head amused.

"Good for you to say", she muttered to herself. "You're not there saving it. The Doctor is. And when he will you only say that you knew this would happen. Oh I hate you."

But she smiled a bit before she started eating.

#####

"Today is a great day", the Master told. "You remember I told you about professor Lazarus?"

"The man who wanted to become younger?"

"That's him! Today he is going to test the machine. In front of an audience! You know who's invited? Martha Jones. Why? Because her lovely sister is working for the professor. Why? Because I made him hire her. Why? So that she'd invite her sister! Aren't I clever?"

Rose bilnked.

"Right. And what do you cost for Martha's invitation?"

"Because we know that Martha is now with the Doctor. Has been since... yestarday. For us I mean. So when Martha comes to see how professor Lazarus is going to 'change what it is to be a human' or something like that I'm pretty sure she'll bring the Doctor with her."

"And you're going to kill him?"

"No! He hasn't fetched me from the end of the universe yet. I'll leave him be. Just make some preparations. Warn Martha's family and so on."

He seemed quite satisfied with himself and waited for Rose to say something.

"Why do you have to pull Martha's family into this?" she asked. "They haven't done anything. Leave them be."

"They will give me some valuable information."

"You don't need information from them!" Rose snapped. "You're almost a bloody prime minister. Let them out of this."

Master's smile shuddered for a second.

"Ah", he said then. "Evil never wins, does it?"

"Never", Rose confirmed. The Master nodded.

"Fine.I'll only tell them what they need to know."

Rose opened her mouth to argue but the Master raised his hand.

"Oh, and just to remind you. I guess the Doctor arrivers in three days. For good, I mean."

He winked and closed the door.

#####

It wasn't until the next day Rose found out what had happened in the party. The Master came to tell him that there had been couple of deaths but the Doctor had saved the day.

"That Martha girl though", he said leaning against the table. "I told my men to warn her family about the Doctor. Her mother was quite shocked, or that's what I heard."

He shoved Rose a short videoclip from a surveillance camera. She leaned forward to watch how a tall black woman slapped the Doctor. She winced and smiled to the memory it woke.

"He and mothers", she said mostly to herself.

"I guess he's gonna hear from her", the Master said. Rose sighed loadly and the Master frowned.

"You're not happy with this."

"When have I ever been happy with your evil plans?"

"That's a good point, actually."

He took the laptop and closed it.

"So, two days", he said grinning. "Two days and I will be a prime minister. And I will show the world that aliens exist."

"What?" Rose gasped.

"Oh, that's right. I haven't told you yet! And neither will I now. Why would I spoil the lovely surprise? You just have to wait. I'm sure you'll be thrilled!"

"Master", Rose warned. He turned to look at her like a child who had just get chaught from a coockie jar. "Please don't do anything stupid. Like start a intergalactic war."

"Oh, I have no will to start a war. I'm going to be the winner before it even starts."

#####

 **A/N** : Here in Finland we don't have the Classic Doctor Who (can you imagine!) so all the refrences to them are from the internet and from my mate who uses piracy.


	9. The Election Day

**A/N** : So here we are, the Doctor is finally in! Hope you enjoy it.

Thanks again for all your comments, favorites and follows! Keep them coming :)

 **Disclamier:** No change there.

 **The Election Day**

The Master had told Rose to follow the news during the election day. So she turned the tv on in the morning and sat down to wait. In the afternoon, after the Master had been elected as Britans new prime minister as a clear winner, he was shown to walk down the stairs Lucy right next to him.

"Mister Saxon has returned from the palace and is greeting the crowd inside Saxon Headquarters", the reporter told the viwers. One of the photographers shouted from the crowd for him to kiss his wife, as he did. Rose shook her head sorrowfully as Lucy smiled at the camera.

She didn't know what was going to happen now. The Master had been sure the Doctor would arrive just in time to see him as the prime minister. So that could mean he was out there right now. Oh how she wished he was, how she wanted him to be. She went to the window in hope she could have a climbse of him, knowing it wasn't likely to happen.

"This country has been sick", the Master's voice came from the tv and Rose's head spun around. "This country needs healing. And although I am aware that there are some flowres that still bloom I'd still go so far as to say that what this country really needs right now, is a Doctor."

He grinned and Rose's heart skipped a beat. He was here.

#####

Soon after that Huston came into her room.

"Prime minister has asked me to remove you to Downing Street", he said and raised the gandhuffs.

"He what? Why?"

"He didn't tell and I didn't ask."

"Well aren't you the best employee ever. Never question your master, huh? What if he asked you to do a murder?"

Huston didn't answer and Rose offered her hands. He locked the cuffs and pulled.

"Yeah, I can walk by myself. I'm not running."

He gestured her to go first and she glared at him and walked out of her room, down the stairs and to the front door. Huston opened it and Rose stepped outside. The sun, the wind, all that hit her on the face and she stopped just to breath.

"Move on!".

Huston poked her on the back and she stepped down rest of the stairs and to the car waiting for them. She was driven to the Downing Street, walked in and up to the Cabinet room where the Master was sitting behind the table. Cameramen were walking around. Lucy stood near the Master, whispering something in his ear, looking a bit nervous. He looked at her, smiled encouraging. Then he noticed Rose and stood.

"Ah", he said and spread his arms. "Are you proud of me?"

Rose scowled at him.

"Not particulary."

He smiled anyway.

"I'd be dissapointed if you were. Ladys and gentleman", he continued with the same breath. "Can I introduce you to the public enemy number four? She's number four because the three firsts are still on the loose. Althought the first three aren't on the list yet. Butr soon they'll be, and they are shown everywhere around Britan."

He smiled at Rose.

"Sit", he ordered. "You don't want to miss this. Tie her mouth."

"No", Rose argued but didn't have time to say anything else before Huston put a piece of duct tape over her mouth.

He sat back down. The cameraman informed them that it was ten seconds till action. The Master straightened his back and interlaced his fingers.

"Britan, Britan, Britan", he said almost warmly to the camera. "What extraordinary times we've had. Just a few years ago this world was so small. And then they came, out of the unknown, falling from the skies. You've seen it happen."

He smiled at Rose and winked. On the small screen Rose saw how the people was shown all the alien contacts of the last years.

"Big Ben destroyed", the Master listed. "A spaceship over London. All those ghosts and metal men. The Christmas star that came to kill. Time and time again, and the goverment told you nothing. Well, not me. Not Harold Saxon. Because my purpose here today is to tell you this. Citizens of Great Britan."

He paused and breath in and out.

"I have been contacted."

Rose's eyebrows shot up.

"A message for humanity from beyond the stars", he continued. On the screen Rose saw a sphere, blinking a blue light.

Spheres flying around, killing everything that moved.

Her breath thickened. She felt a stung of pain behind her left eye.

"People of the Earth", the sphere said in a woman's voice. "We come in peace. We bring great gifts. We bring technology and wisdom and protection. And all we ask in return is your friendship."

Yeah, right, Rose thought. She frowned at the Master who didn't care to look at her. He pouted sweetly.

"Ooh, sweet."

Lucy laughed softly.

"And this species had indentified itself. They are called the toclafane."

Rose snorted throw her nose and caused the Master to blink, move his eyes so he could see her and look quiuckly back at the camera.

"And tomorrow morning they will appear", he continued. "Not in secret but to all of you. Diplomatic relations with a new species will begin. Tomorrow we take out place in the universe. Every man, woman and child. Every teacher and chemist and lorry driver and farmer. Oh, I don't know, every medical student?"

Rose felt a hot flush and wave of anger. How dare he?

"And we will all face our future together", he ended. The camera turned off and people started clapping. Few of them came to shake the Master's hand. He smiled them all proudly. He kissed Lucy. When the room was finally empty expect for him, Lucy and Rose he came to her and ripped the tape off.

"What did you do to Martha?" she asked immidiately, not careing of the nasty tingle that the tape had left on her skin.

"Nothing!" he exclaimed. "Just warned her."

His phone rang and he left the room to answer it.

"And you still don't see", Rose said to Lucy who had sat on the table.

"I think he's done brilliant job", she said cooly. Rose shook her head.

"Open your eyes", she whispered. "He just admitted that he did something to Martha."

"Yes, he has told me about her and the Doctor", Lucy said in the same lazy voice. The door opened and the Master came back in.

"I have good new to you, Rose", he said. "Lucy, would you be a darling and wait for me out side?"

She glared at them, jumped down from the table and left.

"So", the Master began. "We just missed shooting down the Doctor, Martha Jones and that bloke who can't die. And now we found them again! And, what's the best, that little pathetic girl is doing her best to protect the only member of her family who's still free."

He smiled wickedly looking at Rose, who stared back. The Master put the tape over her mouth and put the speakerphone on. A haste, scared voice cracked Rose's heart. It was someone trying to safe someone who she loved.

"Leo! Oh, thank God. Leo, you got to listen to me. Where are you?"

That must be Martha Jones, Rose thought.

"I'm in Brighton", a man said. "Yeah, we came down with Boxer. Did you see that Saxon thing on telly?" He sounded amused.  
"Leo, just listen to me. Don't go home. I'm telling you. Don't phone Mum or Dad or Tish. You've got to hide!" Martha said desperately.

"Shut up", Leo answered.

"On my life", Martha said. "You've got to trust me! Go to the Boxer's. Stay with him. Don't tell anyone. Just hide."

"Ooh", the Master interrupted. "A nice little game of hide and seek."

He grinned at Rose.

"I love that. But I'll find you, Martha Jones", he paused. "Been long time since we saw each other. Must be, what, one hundred trillion years?"

A frozen cold silence didn't last long.

"Let them go, Saxon. Do you hear me! Let them go!" Martha's voice was full of rage and so, so afraid.

"I'm here", came a familiar voice that brought tears into Rose's eyes. Master looked at her and his eyes turned dark.

"Doctor", he said with a voice full of mixed emotions.

"Master."

"I like it when you use my name", the Master said.

"You chose it", the Doctor said. "Psychiatrist's field day."

Rose could have smiled if the tape didn't stop it.

"As you chose yours. The man who makes people better. How sanctimonius is that?"

"So", the Doctor said, trying to get the lead. "A prime minister."

"I know", the Master said gleefully. "It's good, isn't it?"

Rose tried to remove the tape with her sholder when the Master looked away. The Doctor asked about the Toclafanes, said that was a madeup name.

"Do you remember all those fairytales about the toclafanes when we were kids? Back home",

he looked at Rose and smiled. "Where is it, Doctor? Because I heard a rumor that it doesn't exist anymore. That you are the only survivor. Besides me, that is. How did it feel like?"

"Stop it."

"You must've been like god. At least you could tell me how that feels like."

"I've been alone ever since. But not anymore. Don't you see? All we got is each other", the Doctor pleeded. The Master stopped her walk and looked at Rose, devious smile coming to his face.

"So you don't mind if I shoot this little friend of yours down here?"

"What?"

"Oh, didn't I tell you? I have a surprise for you!"

He took the tape off of Rose's mouth.

"Doctor!" she said immidiately. A pause. "Doctor, are you there?"

"It... that's imbossible", his voice was shakey. "You can't be."

Rose almost smiled to a memory.

"Very first word you ever said to me", she whispered. "Trapped in the cellar, surrounded by windowdummies... oh... such a long time ago. You took my hand and said, just one word, you said, run."

This time the silence was full of hope.

"Rose?"

A smile spread into her face. The first real, honest, happy smile since the day she saw the Tardis.

"Hello."

"Rose, listen to me. I'll come to you. I promise, I will find you."

Rose blinked tears from her eyes to the Doctors desperate, heast words.

"I know", she answered.

"And Rose..."

"Oh that's quite enough", the Master said, putting the tape back on Rose's mouth without careing of her efforts to stop him. "'Run'? Really? Is that how you pick up earthgirls to travel with you? I never understood you, you know, but this girl, this Rose of yours... I think I get it now. Tell me Doctor, what is she?"

"If you touch her... If you even touch her Master", the Doctor growled.

"Ohhohho, you really think I haven't already? She's been here since the beginning. We've been doing all kind of things."

Rose narrowed her eyes and the Master winked at her, then turned his back at her.

"So, I've got the Earth and I've got the Rose."

I've got the Rose.

Her head spin for a second.

"You could stop this right now", the Doctor said, panic rising in his voice. "We could leave this planet. We can fight across the constellations if that's what you want. But not the Earth", he swallowed. "Not her."

"Too late", the Master said, his voice going freezing cold and Rose knew what he heard right then.

"Why do you say that?" the Doctor's voice broke.

"The drumming."

Tap-tap-tap-tap, his fingers hit the table.

"Can't you hear it? I thought it would stop but it never does. Never ever does."

Tap-tap-tap-tap, the haunting rythm Rose couldn't place even though she had tried so hard.

"Inside my head, the drumming, Doctor."

Tap-tap-tap-tap.

"The constant drumming."

"I could help you", the Doctor said, desperately. "Please let me help."

"It's everywhere. Listen."

Tap-tap-tap-tap.

"Listen."

Tap-tap-tap-tap.

"Listen. Here comes the drums."

Tap-tap-tap-tap.

"Here comes the drums!" he yelled.

"What have you done? Tell me how you're done this", anger, desperation, even hate were cracking the Doctor's voice. "What are those creatures? Tell me!"

"Oh look!" the Master said joyfully, looking at the laptop screen and turning it to Rose. "You're on TV!"

The new's reporter told to the public about the Doctor, Jack and Martha with blurry pictures of them on the side.

"Stop it. Answer me."

The Master tapped a button and they were shown the surveillance camera's picture from a street. And the Doctor was there. Rose couldn't took her eyes of the Doctor. Turn around, turn around so I can see your face, she repeated in her mind, not really minding what the Master said about Jack's friends and Himalaya.

"Now, go on", the Master said in almost frienly tone. "Off you go. Why not start by turning to the right?"

Then the Doctor turned around and watched straight at her. Her heart leaped. Even throw the screen, black and white picture, he still looked so... so...

"He can see us", she heard the Doctor say to the others. He pointed his sonic and the screen went back.

"Oh, you public menace", the Master said happily. "Better start running. Isn't that your favorite thing to do with your beautiful Rose? So run."

"Don't you dare."

"Run, Doctor."

She didn't reach the Doctor's words to others over the Masters yelling.

"Run for your life!" he lifted the phone to his lips. "I said run!"

And with that, he clicked the phone off and ripped the tape off. "Now wasn't that fun?"

Rose looked up at him.

"He's coming", she said evenly and smiled.

"Of course he is, I want him to", the Master snapped. "Stop that grinning."

But her smile went only wider.

"You know what it means that he comes? It means he can help. I promise Master, he can help you with that drumbeat. And it will go away, you will get the silence. I know him, he can help. You just need to tr-."

Her words were cut as he suddenly stood up and slapped her on the face. Rose looked up, not scared, not even worried but a bit dissapointed. The Master looked at his hand like it had betrayed him but covered it quickly.

"There you have a nice little bruise when your beloved Doctor arrives."


	10. When the Doctor Arrived

**A/N:** Thank you all my lovely readers for your comments, favorites and follows! Keep them coming, I want to know what you are thinking.

 **Disclaimer:** The usual.

 **When the Doctor Arrived**

That night Huston brought her to the airport and they stepped on the large aircraft. She heard someone call it the Valiant. Was it just coincidence, she couldn't tell. She guessed that the battle where the Valiant Child was meant to die was over. At least she hoped so. She looked around curiously.

"What is this place, anyway?" she asked Huston. "Come on, big fellow, you could answer me that. I don't think Mister Saxon has told you not to tell me about this place anything.

"It's Valiant", said a young woman smiling. "Mr. Saxon build it."

"What for?" Rose asked.

"So that we could welcome new lifeforms on Earth", the girl answered. Rose opened her mouth to ask more but Huston leaded her forward.

"So, new lifeforms", Rose said. "You believe in them, Mr. Huston?"

His mouth stayed closed.

"Interesting point, mate. I think you have a clear vision of what's happening."

#####

She was closed into a simple room and the door was locked. She went to the window and watched how they slowly took off. It felt uncomftorable, like a pressure in her stomach, but not so much as in a plane. The land was left below and they rose over the clouds. How was the Doctor ever to get in here if he hadn't the TARDIS?

#####

Later that day the Master came in smiling. He handed her some clothes.

"I want you to put these on tomorrow", he said.

"No thanks", Rose said, not taking them.

"Alright then, you can come naked. But I warn you, there'll be cameras."

Rose scowled him and took the clothes. There was a darkblue halterneck dress, stockings and black high heels. He also handed her a bag of makeup. "Now then", he said. "The Doctor's coming. And tomorrow morning, two minutes past eight, he will weitness how the world kneels in front of me."

"What happenes two minutes past eight?" Rose asked fearing the worst. "Something to do with those toclafanes? You know, you told me a story about them. I don't think those are the real toclafane."

"Oh, if I told you it would only spoil the surprise."

"I haven't really liked your surprises this far so you can tell me."

"Okay then, then you'd spoil the surprise."

"What are you going to do to the Doctor?" she asked, stepping closer.

"What am I not going to do to him, you should ask. And no, I am not going to kill him. Don't worry. Your sweet little fantasyboyfriend will stay alive. At least as long as I need him."

Rose shivered and wrapped her arms around her. It all felt so wrong. What was this? What was happening? She had honestly thought... but she shouldn't have.

"But, on the other hand", the Master said, stepping closer. His eyes were dark and inhuman. "There are things you could do..."

It was some kind of primal reaction. Rose kicked him on the knee. He stepped away, not very surprised, and took a hold of his leg.

"That hurt", he said.

"Good."

He smiled with no humor.

"I hope you won't blame yourself easily", he said. "'Cause this just might cause troubles to a lot of people."

"Master", Rose said desperately, stepping closer once again. "What's wrong, what happened? Where's the man who brought me pens and paper? The man who told me a story when I was ill? What happened to him?"

There was a gilmpse of light in his eyes but it was gone so quickly Rose thought she might have imagined it.

"That man never existed!" the answer was load and angry. "I only let you think he was real so you wouldn't cause troubles! Now it doesn't matter anymore. This is me. I'm the Master!"

He hit the wall four times with his fist, a grimace on his face.

"Master, please", Rose tried.

"No! I'm not listening your shit anymore!"

He slammed the door closed behind him.

#####

She tried to sleep but her dreams were full of those spheres and an old man in a wheelchair.

#####

In the morning she put on the dress the Master had given her. It was really not her, she didn't like dresses that much, and the skirt was so narrow it would be really hard to run in it. The heels were much higher she had ever used and she had troubles walking in them. With makeup she was able to hide the dark circles under her eyes and the bruise the Master's slap had made to the corner of her mouth.

"What do you think?" she asked Huston when he came in with the handcuffs. "Too much? I think it might be. That's why I didn't curl my hair."

He stayed silent and cuffed her hands behind her back and pushed her to the door.

"Okay, okay, I'm going", she said.

#####

Rose was brought to a room filled with people, the president Winters of USA, UNIT guards with guns, Lucy and the Master among them. Huston forced her to sit down and tied to the chair.

"Ah!" the Master said as he looked at her and then the people around them. "This little brunette here is Rose Tyler. A girl who dissapeared in 2005 and was found a year later. A girl who died on the Canary Wharf but, as you can see, didn't die. The allie, the former companion of the dreadful Doctor. She's my ispiration, my muse, my Doctortrapp!"

The Master grinned and pulled a candybag from his inner pocket, offered it to her.

"Excuse me", the president said. "She's not allowed to be here."

"Oh I think she is", the Master said. "She needs to be here."

"Saxon, we have three minutes -."

"So I suggest that we don't waste them on arguing about miss Tyler's presence."

The president scowled at the man in front of him for a moment before turning away.

"Two minutes, everyone!" he said and walked to the steps and turned to look at the camera.

"According to the treaty, all armed personnel are requested to leave the flight deck immediately. Thank you."

People did as he told and Rose looked them leave. Where was the Doctor? What took him so long?

"Five, four", the man showed last three seconds with his fingers. The Master offered the paperback to Lucy and she took a candy.  
"Broadcasting at seven fifty eight with the arrival timed for eight hundred hours exactly. And, er, good luck to all of us."

A pause. President Winters smiled.

"My fellow Americans, patriots, people of the world. I stand before you today as ambassador for humanity, a role I will undertake with the utmost solemnity. Perhaps our toclafane cousins can offer us much, but what is important is not that we gain material benefits, but that we learn to see ourselves anew."  
In that point Rose stopped listening. Because she saw the Doctor step in. He looked around the room and his eyes met Rose. His lips parted. Rose opened her mouth, heart stuttering, but the Doctor gave her a small headshake and she nodded slightly. She saw the Doctor say something to... then she noticed Jack and Martha. Why hadn't she seen them before? They nodded..  
"And I ask you now, I ask of the human race, to join with me in welcoming our friends. I give you, the toclafane."

The president turned around and four spheres appeared.

Spehers. Shooting. People.

Rose blinked and the imagine dissapeared.

"My name is Arthur Coleman Winters, President Elect of the United States of America, and designated representative of the United Nations. I welcome you to the planet Earth and its associated moon."  
"You're not the Master", the sphere that sounded like male said. And Rose knew this was the start of an end.  
"We like the Mister Master."  
"We don't like you."  
"I can be master, if you so wish", said the president who was visibly nervous. "I will accept mastery over you, if that is God's will."  
"Man is stupid", the sphere said. Rose noticed the Doctor approaching, his hand on his neck holding... was it a key? She tried her best not to look at him so shw wouldn't make others to see him. Because obviously they didn't.  
"Master is our friend", said another sphere.  
"Where's my Master", a female one said. "Pretty please?"

That's when the Master stood up and waved his hands. The Doctor stopped, looking a bit scared.  
"Oh, all right then. It's me. Ta da!" he jumped before the cameras. "Sorry, sorry, I have this effect. People just get obsessed. Is it the smile? Is it the aftershave? Is it the capacity to laugh at myself? I don't know. It's crazy. What do you say, Rose?"

"Stop", Rose said. "Stop this, Master. Please."  
"Saxon, what are you talking about?" the president asked.  
"I'm taking control, Uncle Sam, starting with you", he made a glance at Rose. "Kill him."

"No!" Rose cried. But too late. One of the spheres had bare his weapons and shot the president. He blasted into pieces. Guns were pulled out, the Doctor, who had been so close, looked terrified. He looked at Rose with panic in his eyes. Someone was shouting everyone to stop moving.  
"Now then, peoples of the Earth", the Master said, standing up on the steps where president Winters had stood just seconds ago. "Please attend carefully."

He didn't sound that warm and good leader anymore. Rose thought that maybe he had told the truth by saying that the man who had been so kind to her for two years didn't exist. It broke her heart a little.

The Doctor spurted towards, took the key off his neck, but was too late. Two guards stopped him and forced him to kneel down.  
"We meet at last, Doctor", the Master said and laughed. "I love saying that!"  
"Stop it! Stop it now!" the Doctor cried, struggling in the grab of the guards.  
"Did you honestly thought that the perception filter was going to work on me? When it didn't work on Rose?" he mocked and looked up. "And look, it's the girlie and the freak! Although, I'm not sure which one's which."

Jack ran forward.

"Jack, no!" Rose yelled. The Master took his screwdriver from his pocket and shot Jack, who fell.

"Master, stop it!" Rose shouted. He looked at him, the device still pointin at him.  
"You know what's the best part?" he asked, insanity shining in his eyes. "I can kill him again!"  
"Master", the Doctor said voice shivering. "Just calm down. Just look at what you're doing. Just stop. If you could see yourself..."  
"Oh, do excuse me", the Master said and Rose suddenly remembered they were still on air. "Little bit of personal business. Back in a minute."

He stepped down.

"Let him go", he ordered and the Doctor fell on the floor.  
"It's that sound", he said, looking at the Master. "The sound in your head. What if I could help?"  
The Master shot a glare to Rose who nodded, and turned his head away quickly.

"Oh, how to shut him up?" he mused. "I know! Memory Lane", he sat down so he could face the Doctor. "Professor Lazarus. Remember him and his genetic manipulation device? And if I can concentrate all that Lazarus technology into one little screwdriver? But, ooh, if I only had the Doctor's biological code. Oh, wait a minute, I do!"

And much to Rose's surprise the Master hopped up and opened a suitcase, showed a jar that was holding a hand. What?  
"I've got his hand!"

His... his hand? When had he ever... oh, right. Rose looked at the Doctor who looked back at her, looking more scared than she had ever seen him.

"And if Lazarus made himself younger, what if I reverse it?" the Master asked, exited. "Another hundred years?"

An old man in a wheelchair wearing Doctor's clothes.

I've got the Rose!

Spheres flying.

And suddenly it all made sense.

The Master pointed the divice to the Doctor.

"No!" Rose shouted, a golden flash came into her eyes, the cuffs turned burning hot and snapped, both of the guards holding guns at her fell backwards like some kind of a force had hit them. She stood and ran to the Doctor, jumping right in front of the ray. She felt a hot wave crushing throw her, like her blood was changhing. It reached every inche of her. She screamed. It was over before it even began. And just before the world turned into nothing she saw the Master dropping the device and heard the Doctor crying out her name.

#####

 **A/N: Fleur24** Welcome back! I wondered if you had gave up on me :D


	11. The Most Valuable Weapon

**A/N:** So here's the minisode from Master's pov. I tried really hard to make it sound even a bit like him. USe a different voice, you know. And I'd be really glad if you'd tell me if I made it.

Thank you once again for all your comments, favorites and follows! over 50 follows, wow! You are amazing!

 **Disclamier** : I wish but no, I do not own Doctor Who.

 **The Most Valuable Weapon**

"No!" Rose shouted. He didn't know what happend or how she did it but suddenly she was out of the cuffs, both of the guards were laying unconsious on the floor and she threw herself between the Doctor and the gun. The ray hit her on the cheast, she cried and fell. The device slipped throw his fingers.

Pain hit him on the cheast like a mallet.

"Rose!"

The Doctor catched her before she hit the ground but he just stood there, watched speachless how the Doctor wiped hair away from her face.

"Rose", he repeated with a broken voice. "Rose, can you hear me? Please, Rose, please don't do this to me. Just when I got you back. Rose. Rose? Rose."

The drumbeat in his head grew loader and loader and loader.

Du-du-du-du. Du-du-du-du!

"She's not breathing", the Doctor said. "Oh god Martha, she's not breathing. She's not breathing!"

Breahting! Yes! He wasn't breathing! That's why he felt like he was burning inside. He took a long, sharp breath in and his lungs filled with air.

DU-DU-DU-DU!

Martha ran to them and kneeled down, starting mouth to mouth.

"You've killed her!" the Doctor's shout raised over the beat. "Are you happy now? Isn't this what you wanted? She's dead! You've killed her!" the Doctor's voice and eyes were so full of pure anger.

Dead. She couldn't be dead. He didn't want her to be dead. He wouldn't allow her to be dead.

Du-Du

He opened his mouth but nothing came out.

-Du-Du!

He blinked. The Doctor turned back to Rose, caresing her hand and whispering her name over and over again. The Master raised his hands to his ears but the drums beated so load it felt like phycical pain. He closed his eyes. No. No no no. Shut up.

"Harry", Lucy's voice came somewhere far away.

"Doctor!" Martha's voice yelped worriedly.

The Master opened his eyes just in time to see a golden smoke to leave Rose's body and dissapeare into a thin air.

"She's breathing", Martha said. The Master sighed out so deep it made him dizzy.

Du. Du-du. Du.

"Harry!" Lucy demanded.

"What!" he snapped, shooting an angry glare at his wife.

"It has began."

He looked at his clock. Two minutes past eight. He turned looked over her shoulder and saw that millions of toclafane were flying down towards the Earth. They were doing what he had made them to do. And Rose was laying on the Doctor's arms, still unconsious, but alive. Alive! He straightened his back.

DU-DU-Du-du.

"Take them!" he ordered, pointing at the Doctor and Martha. They had a hold of the Doctor but before they catched Martha as well she pushed the button of the vortex manipulator in her hand and dissapeared. But he didn't care of it now. He bend down and picked Rose into his arms, her cheek rested against his shoulder.

"Don't touch her!" the Doctor yelled. He struggled in the hold of the guards. "Don't you dare -."

"Oh sush", the Master snapped. "I'm only taking her to rest. I don't want her dead. I need her. Because Doctor", he said and an evil grinn split his face. "Now I know."

#####

Yes, he knew. And while he laid Rose on her bed and covered her with a blanket he thought what it meant. It meant that one of the most unlikely things had happened. It meant that she was more valuable as a weapon than he had thought. He moved the hair away from her face that didn't look a day older and sighed. Yes, much more valuable. But he also knew that he would never let himself use this weapon.


	12. So It Begins

**A/N:** Hey guys and thank you all so much for reading this far! And all the favorites, follows and comments! Keep them coming and I'll keep writing!

 **Disclaimer:** The usual.

 **So It Begins**

She was standing on an edge of a cliff and watched as men were buldins gigantic missiles. The Master was laughing, he had a walkie-talkie in his hand.

"Japan is down and so is Martha Jones!" he proclaimed. A scream cut the air.

The Doctor was sitting on the floor of a whitewalled room.

The Master fell backwards and hit the floor.

"Regenerate!"

There was so much blood. In her hands.

After what felt like just seconds Rose opened her eyes. She was laying on a bed in a white walled room. A blue blanket was speard on top of her. She moved it away and stood. She felt quite alright, though she had no idea how she ended up there. She looked around, saw a window and walked to it. She moved the curtain away and looked out. The breaht was stuck in her throat as she saw what was happening outside. She was still on the Valiant, high in the air, but the world beneath her was different. It was a full of chaos. Smoke was rising from the buildings and thousands of those spheres were flying around, fireing around. Rose started to feel sick. How long had she been out? What had happened since the Master -. Suddenly she remembered that the ageing ray had hit her and her hands rised to her face. They felt quite normal. She looked at her reflection from the window. She looked still young, although quite tierd. How was that possible? And where was the Doctor, what had happened to him? She rubbed her eyes to calm herself. The Doctor was alive. He had to be. She shook the thought out and walked to the door. It wasn't locked.

"Shall I open it?" she muttered to herself, then pushed the door open. The hallway behind it was empty. Rose stepped out, looking both ways but seeing no one.

"Doctor?" she tried. No answer. But it didn't mean anything, Valiant was a huge ship. He was propaply held somewhere else. And Jack. And Martha and her family. They were all there and the world was coming to its end. She wasn't able to stop it. The Doctor wasn't able to stop it. She shook the thought away again, picked a direction and walked forward. She wasn't sure what she was looking for, they were up in the air so there was no way out. Maybe a weapon, or a prove that the Doctor was alive, or anything really. Because the Doctor was alive, she was sure of it. She was sure she'd feel it if he was dead, that they had some kind of connection to feel things like that. She smiled as she thought what the Doctor would say to that.

"You just don't get it, do you?"

Wait, no, he wouldn't say that. And still Rose was sure she had heard the Doctor's voice use exactly those words. She turned around the corner. A new hallway opened in front of her. But in this hallway there was a door slightly open.

"I have nothing to say to you."

The Doctor's voice came behind that door! Rose's heart jumped rapidly as she approached the door and peeked in. The room was empty and dark. She felt dissapointed until her eyes met a large window. And behind that window she saw the back of the Master. He was sitting on the chair backwards, leaning his arms against the rest. The Doctor was tied up with his wrists and legs by duct tape. Rose stepped in to the room and closed the door. That was two sided mirror, she gathered. And this was the observation room, or what ever it was called. There was microphone somewhere and she was able to hear what the people on the other side of the glass were talking. Did they hear her?

"Doctor?" she said, unsurely. Nothing.

"If I were you, I would be very careful what I said", the Master said. The Doctor stared at him and Rose stepped closer to the window, placeing her hand against it.

"I'm here", she whispered.

"What do you mean?" the Doctor said after a long pause. Rose didn't see Master's face but she knew he was smiling.

"I have Rose", he said simply. "And if you're not behaveing, I will make sure she knows it."

The Doctor's eyes went dark and Rose felt shivers clim up her spine. The Master stood up slowly and walked behind the Doctor, placeing his hands on his shoulders and leaning down.

"Do you ever think of it, Doctor?" he whispered into the Doctor's ear so silently that Rose hardly heard his words. "Do you ever think how she would kiss? What her mouth would taste like? How her warm, bare skin would feel against yours? How her fingers would run throw your hair?"

"Stop it", the Doctor growled.

"How she would sigh under you, yell your name in -"

"I said stop it!" he shouted, his hands wrenching in the ties, the uncoming storm changing into a one rageing. His teeth were bare as he spit out the words.

"Let her go! You can do anything to me but let her go! She's innocent! There's nothing she can do!"

"Oh I think there's a lot she can do", the Master said, straightining his back. "I think she just might be the best way of getting words out of you."

"No!" Rose yelled ang hitted the window. She hoped that if her voice didn't carry into the room the bang of glass would. It didn't. Doctor looked straight at the Master, and even though Rose could tell he was fighting against the growing fear he couldn't help some of it to leak throw. The Master sat back down.

"Are you ready, Doctor", the Master said, turning on his radiophone. "To answer my questions?"

"I have nothing to say to you", the Doctor repeated. The Master shook his head.

"Let's say that every time you decline to say anything, she will feel the consequense. How'd you like that?"

Rose could see the fear in his eyes but he remind silent.

"Okay then", the Master said. He raised the walkie-talkie to his mouth. "Do it", he said. Few seconds after his command the room filled with a scream of agony. It was her scream, she realized. She remembered that time in the TARDIS when the Master had tried to enter her mind. But the Doctor didn't know that it didn't happen right then, and Rose could see pure horror on his face. She banged the glass, shouted at him that it wasn't her, that it was a hoax, but he didn't hear.

"So... what do you say? Where is Martha Jones?"

"I don't know", the Doctor answered.

"Not good enough."

Again the scream came, the exact same voice, and Rose wondered whether the Doctor noticed it too or was he too much in shock to do so.

"Tell you what, Doctor. If we keep going on like this she will die before this week ends, and you can't even recognize her body."

To this Rose hit the glass so hard it hurt.

"Let me see her", the Doctor said.

"Oh hoh hoo, I don't think so!"

"I answer only to her", the Doctor said, his eyes fixed into the Master. He looked back, madness shining in his grey eyes.

"Just let me see her", the Doctor repeated.

"What are you doing in here?"

Rose whipped around. A young guard entered the room.

"The door was open", Rose said.

"You're Saxons prisoner."

Rose gave him a halfhearted smile.

"If you say so", she said dryly. The guard didn't seem amused.

"You're coming with me now", he said, took a step forward and stopped when a scream once again filled the room. He looked at the room behind the glass and back at Rose.

"Now!" he said loadly, came to Rose, took a thight hold of her arm and pulled her with him.

"Hey!" Rose yelled. "Let go of me!"

She struggled and it seemed to annoy the man, who stopped, pulled her closer and twisted her arm behind her back. She cried of pain as he handcuffed her.

"Now, I have a gun right here", the man said tapping a leather holster on his hip. "So you better move."

Rose glared at him for a moment, nodded and turned around, heading back to the room she had left. The man pushed her violently to the floor of her room and shut the door. The lock clicked and Rose was left alone.

#####

It took about half an hour for the Master to come to her. She strugled up from the floor as the door opened.

"Oh, you're up!" he said cheerfully as he saw Rose. "Good, because you don't believe what I -"

He paused.

"What do you have behind your back?" he asked suspiciously.

"My hands", Rose said.

"Show them to me", the Master ordered. Rose arched a brow.

"You think I have a knife or something? No, I don't. And what use would it be to kill you now that you're already caused the end of the world you wanted?"

"Stop being my moral guide and show me your hands", the Master said impatiently.

"I can't", Rose snapped. "I'm handcuffed."

The Master looked amused.

"You are? Who handcuffed you? And why?"

Rose shrugged as the Master walked behind her and opened the cuffs. As her hands were relised she rubbed her wrists.

"Some young bloke. He found me from that room next to the one you were talking with the Doctor."

"Oh."

Rose grinned at his surprise. It seemed that he needed to take some time to figure out what exactly had happened. But he recovered rather quickly and gave her a villanic smile.

"So, what did you like? Wasn't that just great? He honestly believed it all. I never thought he would be so ductile."

"Let me see him", Rose said immidiately.

"Oh, not you too", the Master groaned,

"Please Master. I ask him what ever you want. Just let me speak to him."

"Why?"

Rose considered her words a short while.

"Because I want to", she said then. The Master raised his eyebrows.

"Because you want to?" he repeated. "That's the best you can say? I was waiting one of those Rose Tyler -lectures about how good always wins ecetera."

"You once said I was free from your commands", she said calmly. "Maybe that was a lie, I don't know. Seems all you have done is lie to me. I honestly thought there might be something good in you, some reason to stand up and defend you. So maybe I was wrong. But it doesn't mean that you shouldn't do this. You know you should. You know it's the only way to get anything out of the Doctor."

The Master looked at her up and down.

"I will think about it", he finally said. Rose smiled warmly and stepped a bit closer, laid her hand on his arm.

"Thank you", she whispered. The Master stared at her hand and pulled off.

"I didn't promise anything", he snapped before leaving the room.

#####

"Good morning, mr. Huston", Rose greeted her guard. "It's nice to see that you still haven't let your master down."

He didn't even look at her.

"You've seen what he had done, right?" she asked. "Your family is out there, you ever thought of that? They might be dead. I know that you at least have parents, otherwise you wouldn't exist. Unless they're already dead."

Still no answer. Huston was leaving the room.  
"It was nice to chat with you!" Rose shouted cheerfully. After the door was closed she stood and went to the window. What had happened after she had passed out, she didn't know. Martha had escaped, that was all. But where and what to do she didn't know. Was it Doctor's plan, she didn't know. Where Jack was, she didn't know. And she hated not knowing. The Doctor had been always exited not to know, unless someone's life was in a thread. And right now everyones lives were in a thread and she had no idea what anyone could do.

The worst thing was that the Doctor was helpless. Without his TARDIS or sonic screwdriver he was in the exact same situation as she was. No, worse than that, as he thought she was... that she was... and what would he do while thinking so? Would he start talking? Would he break in front of the Master? Or would the Master bend and let them see each other? Rose's head was so full of questions she couldn't finish one before the new one formed. What about Jack, where was he, what the Master was doing to him? If he couldn't die... was the Master really killing him over and over again? What would that do to Jack? Did it hurt, dying? Did he feel it? She tried to stop thinking, tried to focus on one question at the time, but it all was so blurry and horrible and her head started to ache once again.

Blood. So much blood. In her hands.

She startled violently and looked at her clean hands. What was that? Why was this happening?

"Stop it", she ordered herself. She needed to talk to the Doctor, tell him what was happening. Maybe he knew. Maybe he could tell. Maybe...

The door opened and the Master stepped in.

"Let me see the Doctor!" Rose said immidiately.

"You could at least say hello before starting to demand things", the Master said dryly.

"After all you've done after you were elected I really don't care saying hello."

He pouted and crossed his arms.

"I was just coming to take you to meet him but if you really start acting like this again..."

"What do you want me to do?" she yelled more than asked. "To beg? Kneel down in front of you? Kiss your ring, call you my lord and master?"

"Not that I wouldn't like all that", the Master said coldly. "Maybe not right now. You want to see the Doctor or not?"

"Yes."

"Well, come on then."

He geastured the door.

"You're not going to tie me up? Put the handcuffs on?"

"Nah, I think you should look lovely and fresh so he doesn't think I've been mistreating you lately."

She glared at him before walking to the door.

"You're better not be lying", she muttered.

"I have never -", he began and fell silent. "Come on."


	13. Questions

**A/N:** I thought to give you one more chapter before I'm forced to go somewhere without internet connection for the rest of the week. Hos cruel is that? Anyway, that means there will be no updates until Sunday or Monday. I hope you like the following chapter!

 **Disclaimer:** Nope, not mine.

 **Questions**

Rose stepped into the room and heard the door close and the lock click behind her. She looked around. The room was white and empty. On one of the walls there was a large mirror. So the Master was porpably behind it, Rose thought. Only thing, or only one, who was there, was the Doctor. He was sitting in a corner, knees against his cheast and arms wrapped around them, face down. He looked so devistated it broke Rose's heart all over again.

"What ever you have to say to me", the Doctor said in a low, hopless voice. "My answer is the same."

Rose swallowed. She had thought seeing him would make everything right and now she couldn't even move.

"Doctor?"

His head snapped up, his eyes wide and mouth fairly open. That was all it took. Rose ran forward, the Doctor stood up, and she crashed straight to the Doctor's opened arms, wrapped her arms around his neck and closed her eyes.

"Rose."

It was like her name was all he was able to say. She tried to pull back to see him but he only held her tighter. It felt like all her mixed emotions were overflowding. All the happiness and joy and relief and oh so strong love, and throw them bits of fear and regret and shame. His grip was so tight and familiar. She heard a silent sigh, almost a sob.

"Hey", she said. "It's okay."

"I'm so sorry", he mumbled against her shoulder. She was surprised to hear his words break.

"I'm fine. See?"

She pulled away and smiled.

"Hello Doctor", she said. "How are you feeling? Why are you in a room without any furniture?"

A ghost of a smile appeared on the Doctor's face.

"Guess the Master thinks I can build some device to escape from a chairleg and newspaper. Like McGyver!

She laughed and the Doctor's grin went wild.

"I've missed you", she said and cupped his cheek. He closed his eyes and leaned into her touch.

 _Quite right too._

She startled. What was that? It was like she knew what the Doctor was thinking. She didn't exactly hear him talking but somehow she still knew it was him and those were the words. Or perhaps it was just her mind making tricks. If he seriously was going to say that again she'd slap him so hard that... that...

 _That I'd go through two faces. She's just like her mot- what?_

Again! What was that?

Doctor's eyes went a bit wider.

 _Rose? Can... can you hear me? Don't say anything out load. Just... just think of what you want to say._

 _Doctor?_

 _But... but..._

Rose pulled her hand away, a bit scared. Suddenly she felt cold and somehow alone. Like there had been someone embrassing her and she didn't notice it until one wasn't anymore. The Doctor looked like he felt the same. Slowly he took her hand in his and the same warm feeling filled Rose.

 _Can I read you mind?_ she thought the question, thinking right after it if it really was working. Her thought was interrupted by another, but that one wasn't her own.

 _Well, yes and no. I mean this isn't exactly mindreading, more like a telepathic link. But it shouldn't be possible. Not even humans with low telepathic abililities should be able to have a link this strong. She shouldn't be able to do this. What... how... is she having a headache?_

As she didn't know what else to do so she pulled her hand away.

"No", she said out load. For a second he looked lost and then he seemed to realize she was lying.

"Rose..."

She shook her head.

"Not now."

"But... but how?" he said.

"I don't know", Rose said quietly. "But can it have something to do with the fact that he can't enter my mind?"

"He... he can't?"

Rose shook her head.

"He tried to and I just did what you once told to do if someones playing mindtricks; I closed all the doors. And he couldn't enter, not even by force and -."

"He tried to force himself into your mind?" the Doctor interrupted, his voice rising. He clenched his hands in anger. "That is compared to a rape. No, worse than that."

He turned to look at the mirror.

"You do that to her again and I swear I will kill you!" he yelled.

"Shh", Rose murmured, placeing her hand on his to calm him down. He turned to look at her, and she felt his regret and guilt filling her. It was so weird. She tried to ignore it.

"Doctor, I'm fine. He's not hurting me. I'm here. So don't you dare to blame yourself."

The door opened and they turned to look at the Master who entered. There was the glow of madness in his eyes.

"So you're thinking I did something wrong? Tell me, Doctor, what did _you_ do to make all this possible to her? She's human! She shouldn't be able to shut anyone out, have telephatical conversations because yes, I noticed, or cause physical pain if someone tries to enter her mind."

"What?"

"What did you do, Doctor? Tried to turn her into a time lady?"

"She can cause physical pain?"

"I've been thinking and thinking what could have made this happen. Every since I first noticed the contact. No, before that. When she turned gold and tried to attact me."

Rose watched the exchange between these two men, saw a panic in the Doctor's eyes growing as anger did so in the Master's. She stepped closer to the Doctor.

"Why won't you ask what I think?" she said.

"What do you think?" the Doctor said immidiately, like in a habit.

"The time vortex", she said calmly. "I wonder how neither of you thought about that. The two most incredible and smart men in the universe and both of you just skipped the fact that I have absorbed the time vortex?"

Both of them stared at her, Doctor's mouth a bit open and Master's a little more.

"No", they then said, in union. Rose snorted.

"Anything like this hasn't happened before, right?" she asked and they both nodded. "But yet again, no one has ever absorbed the time vortex?" Once again the answer was a silent nod. "And Master, you saw me glowing gold, yeah?" He nodded. "So how can you know it's not about that?"

The Master turned to look at the Doctor.

"This is what I ment when I said I get it", he said. The Doctor just stared at Rose. She smiled at him and took his hand.

 _I'm okay. Calm down._

It felt weird to talk like this because she didn't really hear anything and yet knew exactly what the Doctor said. Or thought. Or what ever it was. But he never had a change to give her an answer as the Master took a handful of her hair and pulled her away from him. She cried in pain and raised her hands to her hair. His grip loosened immidiately.

"Stop it! Stop!" he yelled and pushed Rose to the floor. The Doctor made a move to come to her but the Master stepped between them.

"I am not going to let you two have a mental conversation! I don't know what it is that happened to her, was it the time vortex or something else, I don't even care. But don't you two even try to do anything in front of my eyes that I can't take part of!"

"Calm down, Master", she said. "It's nothing you'd be interested of hearing."

The Master narrowed his eyes and Rose suddenly felt a bit colder.

"You promised you'd ask him what ever I want to know", he said and Rose nodded. "Well then?"

She rolled her eyes and turned to the Doctor.

"Right then", she said but the Doctor interrupted her.

"So we are just going to skip the fact that she's having headaches? Breathing out regeneration energy? Causing physical pain?"

They stared at each other for a long while.

"You know, I can see when you're having a telephatical conversation as well", Rose said crossing her arms.

"I better take you back to your cell", the Master said. Panic hit Rose, she realized if she was now taken away she'd possibly never see the Doctor again.

"Wait, no!" Rose said as he came closer. "What about the questions? I'll ask them now! No!"

He took a firm hold of her arm and pulled her towards the door.

"Let go! No! Doctor!"

"Rose!"

She struggled and tried to pull off his grip. Suddenly she felt him in her mind, violently and threatning and angry and... and then nothing.

"Doctor!" she cried reaching for the man running towards them before the door was locked between them. "Let go of me! Let me back! Doctor! Doctor!"

"He can't hear you anymore!" the Master snarled. "These doors are soundproof. I build them myself."

There was a thin wall seperating them, a wall that didn't let them throw, nor anything else. How ironic was that? How cruel?

"Doctor!"

"Stop it!" the Master shouted and slammed her against the wall. She hit her head and bend forward, pressing her palm against the back of her head. She raised her face to him and blinked tears of pain away from her eyes.

"What is it that you want?" she asked. "You want me to ask him questions and then you take me away. You want him to think you torture me and then you show him I'm fine. Just tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it. Just let him go."

She was so angry. Every cell of her body was screaming in fury. He propably felt it because he suddenly let go. He looked pale and scared. Maybe he thought that she'd try to kill him again. And as the headache grew she started to fear it herself as well. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"Please, Master", she pleaded. "Please tell me what I can do."

"You can shut your mouth", he answered in a freezing cold voice. Rose fell silent and let the Master lead her back to her room.

#####

What had just happened? Rose felt unsecure and extremely nervous. She was led down by the Master and the Doctor as neither of them had told her what was going on. They seemed to know what happened, or at least they had a really good guess. It was so unfair they didn't tell her. And the Doctor... she had worked so hard to find a way back to him and all he had to say to her was 'I'm so sorry'? Really? He couldn't say... why couldn't he say? Even the Master had told her more about his feelings than the Doctor. Although the Master had said he had been lying. And then... she didn't know what to think anymore, what to expect. Answers, yes, but she didn't even know the right questions. She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. The headache started to form and she was so scared of it right no.

"Japan is down, and so is Martha Jones."

Blood.

Master laying on the floor.

And these things, were they glimpses of the future? Did she see what was going to happen? No, she had seen the Doctor as an old man but he wasn't. Because she had changed it, she realized. She had rewritten the time. She had seen what could be. Just like the Doctor. It felt scary and overwhelming. Why was this happening? And over and over again, was she going to die?

#####

"Why are you here again?"

The Master stood on the door and raised his eyebrows.

"Pardon?"

"Don't play that game with me", Rose said, not raising her eyes from her drawing. "Let's get straight to the point. Did you come here to laugh how poor little Rose thought she could turn it all better? Tell me that the Doctor has finally broken and tell you everything? That you have already won this stupid fight against what ever you are fighting against?"

Her voice was calm and steady and so full of hidden hatred that the Master was speachless for a long while.

"No", he finally said. "I was just trying to be ni-."

"Nice? Yeah, right. Didn't you just tell me how you were lying all that time and you were nice to me just so that I wouldn't... how was it? Cause any troubles?"

Master's lips parted and he swallowed visibly.

"Or was that a lie as well? Do you even know how to speak truth?"

"I... don't know", the Master said.

"What is it that you want from me Master?" she asked and finally turned to look at him. "I tried to be your friend but you didn't want my friendship. I tried to help you but you didn't want my help. Is it sex?" she stood up. "Is that what you want?"

"I... what?"

"Because if that's it then alright, I can do it. You let the Doctor go and end this insane war and you'll have me."

She took off her shirt and threw it towards the Master. It hit him on the shoulder and dropped to the floor. The Master looked at it and then back at Rose, who was stripping her jeans.

"Go on!" she said angrily and took off her bras. "Isn't this what you wanted?"

The Master's eyes ran down her body and he quickly turned away. He flushed and pulled his collar like he was feeling very uncomftorable. He bend to pick up the shirt.

"There really isn't anything you'd do for the Doctor", he said. "Put your clothes back on", he muttered, handing her the shirt. "I don't want to see you like this."

As Rose didn't move he put the shrit on the bed and left. As the door closed she took took the shirt and pulled it back on. She was feeling cold and ashamed and confused. What did the Master want? Why did he made it clear that he wanted her but didn't take it when there was a change? The thought hit her hard and clear and she shook it off. It couldn't be. Surely the Master didn't even _like_ her, right? She sat on the bed, hide her face into her hands and brust into tears


	14. The Beast Within

**A/N:** Hello my dearest readers! I wish you all had better holiday than I did. Which, in fact, doesn't take that much. Anyway, thank you all for your comments, favorites and follows! Keep them coming.

 **Say What:** And you have no idea how happy your comment made me!

 **Disclaimer** : The usual, unfortunately.

 **The Beast Within**

"Good afternoon, mr. Huston", Rose greeted her guard. "Isn't it a lovely day of destruction and death?"

He placed her breackfast on the table.

"You lord and master is occupied, is he? Having fun by torturing his prisoners?"

He was leaving.

"You know, if you wouldn't have such a big problems you'd propably be very much liked among women. Or men?" she suggested.

He stopped still and turned around.

"Oh hey! You do hear me! I was starting to get worried if -."

She couldn't get any further as Huston suddenly was right in front of her and pushed her against the wall.

"I'm not gay", he said in a silent voice.

"Okay", Rose tried to calm him down. "Nothing wrong of being gay though. I have a friend who's... who's... well, he goes with anything that moves, so..."

His strong, muscular arm pressed on her throat and she gasped, raised her hands to his arm trying to get some air.

"I'm getting a bit tierd of your mockery, girly", he hissed. Rose looked straight into his blue eyes and she thought, quite surprisingly, how could he have so bright and light eyes when his hair was so dark. He lifted her a bit higher so that only her tiptoes were on the ground. She stopped thinking of his eyes. She tried to talk but no voice came out. He smiled.

"Not so clever now, are you?" he laughed. "Not like shouting would help with these soundproof walls. Saxon was clever when he build them but he didn't think it would hit back at him, did he? And he's not here to save you. I could always say you tried to run."

His free hand went to her waist and under her shirt. Panic and horror were so strong Rose couldn't move at first. She felt the headache growing. What would happen if she'd loose it again? If the world would turn yellow?

"You have asked this, you know", he whispered to her ear. His breath was hot and disgusting. His hand went higher under her shirt. Rose felt a sharp stung behind her left eye and for a moment the world was yellow. Her heart leaped. No, this was not a good time to loose it.

A scream sut the air.

It took a while to Rose to realize that it was real this time and not a dream. It was Huston,and he was stareing at his hands. His palms looked like raw, bloody flesh. He raised his face to look at Rose.

"Freak!" he yelled and pulled his gun out. Rose could see that it hurt, her heart was leaping and she had no where to go. The gun was pointed at her, it was shakeing. Huston's eyes were hitting fire.

"What are you? An alien? How did you do this!"

Rose swallowed. She felt her blood turn hot and she knew it was coming, it would be there really soon, and she let it. She did nothing to stop it. She wanted it to happen.

The gunshot came somewhere really far away. She felt the bullet hit her on the shoulder, a burning, horrible pain that took her breath away. Another shot, but she didn't know if it hit or not, there was no pain, there was nothing but a gold, yellow, strange world. And then nothing.

#####

She was swimming in a thick, black liquid, trying to get forward. But she didn't know what forward was or if there was anything there where she was heading. Her head was aching. Her shoulder was aching. Her cheast was aching. And that annoying bleeping noise was there all the time.

#####

The Master fell backwards and hit on the floor.

#####

"Rose?"

Doctor's voice came somewhere far away, like she was under the water and he was not. She tried to open her eyes but was too tired. She ached. And the bleeping noise was still there. Ungoing bleeping noise. She wished she could silence it.

"Rose?"

His familiar, beloved voice dissapeared into nothingness.

#####

It felt like someone was poking at her. But not physically. It was weird. Who was that? Where was she?

She opened her eyes, closed them and opened them again. She blinked several times.

There was white roof and walls and the Doctor was smiling at her. The monitor next to her was bleeping evenly.

"Hello", he said.

"Hi."

Had the nightmare finally ended? Was she in the TARDIS? No, her room in the TARDIS hadn't white walls, nor the Doctor in it. Why was the Doctor there? And where exactly was there?

"You're going to get a headache with all those questions", the Doctor said.

"What?" she asked, confused. "Where am I? What happened?"

"Calm down, Rose", he said with a smile in his voice. "You're still on the Valiant. You were in and accident. But it's all alright now."

"On the Valiant? Where's the Master? Why are you here?"

Her head was spinning, it was all so weird and confusing and... and then it stopped. It was like someone had put a blug on a hole where all the questions came. She realized it was him, the Doctor. He smiled sadly.

"Sorry", he sighed. "I got to do something. Listen to me, Rose. I'll tell you everything you need to know. Okay?"

She nodded. He squeezed her hand and she felt herself to relax.

"You were in somekind of fight, or that's what I heard, with your guard. He shot you on the shoulder and chest. You were in a quite bad shape, and no one could touch you", he said.

"Why not?"

"Because ou burnt anyone who tried", he paused and looked away. "Expect for me."

"Why you?" Rose asked. The Doctor gave her a smile that warmed her heart.

"I don't know but I could guess that you trust me."

"Ofcourse I trust you!"

His smile grew a bit.

"Good. Anyway. When no one could treat you and you were slowly bleeding to death the Master fetched me as... as the last option I guess, and I brought you here. And here we are."

"Okay", Rose said. "How... how long have I been here?"

He didn't answer and looked hesitant.

"Well?"

"You've been here for six weeks."

"What?" she gasped. The Doctor nodded and turned his head away. He blinked and swallowed.

"I thought you might not come back at all", he whispered.

"What happened? Was it... was it the same thing as before?" she asked even though she knew the answer. The Doctor nodded again. Rose felt cold shivers running up her spine.

"I can't control it", she said.

"You'll learn", the Doctor said warmly. "With time and a littlebit of practise and you'lle learn to control it. Just like you'll learn to control the telephatic link. So you don't show me everything when ever I touch you."

She blushed and pulled her hand away from his. Cold and empty feeling filled her. He chuckled.

"Don't worry. I won't look."

He offered her his hand and she took it. As the warm and gentle feeling wrapped her in its embrance she closed her eyes and sighed.

"I never knew what I was missing before I felt this. It's wonderful. I love it. I love having you in my mind."

When she felt his answer she realized she hadn't really felt him in her mind. And now he was sending her a message that he felt exactly the same.

"Me too", he said. She opened her eyes and smiled.

"Ooh, isn't this sweet", came a voice from across the room. "The lovers meet after so many difficulties. Now kiss the girl."

She hadn't even notice the Master coming in the room. And now he was standing there, leaning against the wall, arms crossed on his cheast. She felt how the Doctor retreated from her mind. It didn't leave her alone but she knew now the difference between hearing him and feeling what he was feeling and feeling just his precense.

"Master", the Doctor said calmly.  
"Does that mean I won't have a kiss? Oh, what a pity!" the Master mocked.

"What do you want?"

"I saw she was up", he answered. "What did you expect? Me to wait for my turn?"

"Well..."

"Ofcourse you did, you old dog", he said and laughed dryly. Doctor's muscels tensed. He seemed nervous and she knew that the explosion was close. Rose looked at him and understood that he was hiding something. What was it? Why was he keeping it as a secret? Was it something that had happened? Wait, the Doctor had said she had been in an accident. What kind of accident? She remembered Huston being there, and... Oh no. The Doctor galced at her regretfully and she realized he had heard it all.

"What happened?" she asked. "Where's Huston? Is he alright? Did I hurt him?"

As neither of the Doctor nor the Master answered she tried, for the first time ever, to step into Doctor's mind and look for the answer. She felt him tug her in her mind. It felt like... like... there wasn't really anything to compare it with as she had never felt anything like that before. She frowned.

"You know, you're quite clumsy at this", he said out load.

"Well I have no idea how to do this", she answered. He smiled fondly.

"You might want to close your eyes. It helps to consentrate."

She did as he told and suddenly she saw, or at least the thing she did was nearest of seeing, something really strange and complicated and beautiful. It was like starlight and nightsky and darkness and something she couldn't really discrabe. Was this his mind? Was this how peoples mind looked like? How was she ever able to understand something like this?

 _Don't worry about that._

"Excuse me for interrupting", the Master said loudly. "But I don't think this is the time to practise telephatical conversations."

Rose opened her eyes and turned to look at him.

"What happened to Huston?" she asked. The Master looked at her.

"You really don't remember, do you?" he asked. She shook her head.

"He's dead", the Master answered. "You exterminated him. Turned him to dust."

Rose's heart stopped beating for a while and she felt Doctor's presence in her mind strongly as he gave her comfort and strength.

"What?" she gasped. She had killed him? But... no.

"No!"

The tears started to pour. The Doctor pulled her to a tight hug and she hid her face to her cheast. The familiar doublebeat of his hearts comforted her. The Master, however, was confused.

"Why are you so upset?" he asked. Rose pulled of the hug.

"I killed him", she mumbled. She was a murdered. She had killed someone.

"Rose", the Master said his voice rising. "That piece of shit tried to rape you! Kill you!"

Rose shook her head as the new wave of tears came.

"Still."

"He deserved it", the Master spat.

"No he didn't. Yeah, he was an asshole. But that doesn't mean he deserved to die."

"You're seriously defending him?" the Master asked, completely blown away. The Doctor turned to look at him, a dark look in his eyes.

"She once defended a dalek in front of me", he said calmly.

"I'm a murdered", Rose said blankly.

 _No you're not. I am._

He wasn't, not really. Everything he had done he had done to save people. Many may have died but even more had survived because of him. She felt a wave of his greatfullness and kind of felt him smiling even though there wasn't a smile on his face.

"I've never met anyone like you", the Master said after a short pause. She wiped her tears from her cheeks but only more fell down. She started to sob again.

"It was selfdefence, Rose", the Doctor said desperately. "And it wasn't even you. Just like with the daleks. It wasn't you. It was th... e Bad Wolf."

The realization lightened his eyes and he pulled his hand from hers and stood up.

"What did the test results say?" he asked.

"What testresults?"

"I found some changes from her blood", the Master said, ignoring her. "It's not pure humanblood. Mostly, yes, but there is tiny bits of... of time vortex in it. It's part of her blood, I can't seperate one from another. Not by any way I know of."

"I've never heard of anything like that", the Doctor said.

"Me neither. It also seems that the vortex reacts to adrenalin which makes it escalates. It explains alot."

"What are you two on about?" Rose asked, trying to stood up. She felt a stung of pain in her head. The Doctor glanced at the Master and turned to her, pushed her back down.

"You should sleep", he said.

"But I want to know what's going on with my blood!"

Blood in her hands.

He put his fingers softly on her temples.  
"Don't you dare!" Rose snapped. But right then she started to feel so very tierd. "You'll hear about this", she muttered before she fell asleep.


	15. Jack

**A/N:** Hello there! Thank you once again for reading. Your comments help me alot, so please keep them coming!

 **Dreamcatcher56** : Thank you, I'm slowly gettin over it!

 **Disclaimer** : The usual.

 **Jack**

Rose was sitting on the couch in the library. Tardis hummed. She rested her head against the Doctor's cheast. His fingers played with her hair. The even, calming doublebeat of his hearts drummed under her ear.

Du-du dum-dum, du-du dum-dum.

She sighed. The familiar sound, the sound that reminded her that there was so much to see and do. The sound of universe and acknowlidge beating. Du-du dum-dum, du-du dum-dum.

Du-du-du-du!

Rose's eyes flew open.

"The hearts!" she cried out load. Of course, that's why the beat was so familiar! It was his hearts! She looked around. The room was dark, like it was night. The monitor was still showing her pulse. Rose sat up and pushed the covers aside. She ripped all the weird tubes off and the machine stopped bleeping and made a high one note bleeeee until she found the right button to turn it off. The floor was cool under her bare feet as she tiptoed to the window. She moved the curtain and peeked out. Under her was clouds and she couldn't see the ground. Over her was bright nightsky. She leaned closer, tried to recognize some of the stars. There, that one, was the one they had headed after Doctor's regeneration. Ofcourse it had been to the future as well but it didn't matter. She'd recognize that star anywhere. She turned her head and tried to find something else familiar. A shooting star flew in front of her eyes and she closed her eyes and made a wish. She wished that this would end soon, and that everything would turn alright. Her eyes opened when the door clicked.

"I noticed that you're up", the Master said.

"Yeah", she said.

"How are you?"

"Where's the Doctor?"

His smile was gloomy.

"He's fine. Safe."

"Can I go and see him? Tell him that I'm okay?"

"Maybe later. It's night. You should go back to sleep."

"I've slept weeks. I don't need to sleep anymore."

He sighed and walked to her. He looked out of the window.

"See that star there?" he said, pointing a bit left. "250 000 000 lightyears that way, and out of local cluster of galaxies and you'll find..."

"Gallifrey", Rose ended silently. "I know."

She touched gently his arm and he shivered. She felt him in her mind and reacted to that by closing all the doors. He pulled off.

"I mean, that's where it'd be if the Doctor wouldn't have exploded it", he said with a hard voice. "I don't see why you love him so much when there's so much bad he has done."

"And even more good", she said.

"Millions died", the Master snapped.

"And billions lived! You can't judge him because he did something no one else dared to do. He saved the universe. The cost was terrible but he did it because otherways everyone would have died."

The Master was silent. He backed off from the window and then came back.

"I couldn't do it", he said. "Kill them all. I couldn't. I didn't even want to. I didn't care. But..." he cut off and shook his head violently. "You are strange creature, Rose."

"What do you mean?"

"Your heart is bigger than the universe", he said. "And I can't handle it."

He left, leaving Rose feeling unexplainble sad.

 **#####**

In the morning a new guard brought her breackfast.

"Hey", Rose greeted. "What's your name?

"Oliver", he man answered. "I'm sorry", he said then. Rose frowned.

"Of what?"

"What you've gone through. Can't be easy."

Rose smiled sadly.

"Guess you wouldn't be so sorry if you'd know what I've done", she said taking the trail from him and putting it down.

"I know you killed Huston", he said and grinned. "Glad you did. He was a bastard."

She turned away, not able to even smile. How could anyone be happy that she had killed someone?

"You need something else?" he asked.

"No", she said. "And Oliver?"

He stopped and turned to look at her.

"Thank you."

#####

Rose was laying on the floor her eyes closed, thinking of the dream she had seen about the heartbeats. Why had she seen it? Should she tell about it? And if, then how? Would it change anyhting? The Master came in and leaved the door open.

"Would you like to see your old buddy Jack the Immortal?"

Rose climbed up from the floor.

"Yes!"

"Oh, aren't you eager! Wish you'd greet me with such enthusiasm!"

#####

He lead her to the other side of the Valiant. That part was clearly a prison, and when the Master opened the door she felt cold. The prison was dark, hot and horrible. Jack was in the middle of the room, hands tied up so that he was forced to stand all the time. His shirt was partly ripped and dirty, as was his bare arms and face, and he was sweaty and scarred.

"Rosie!" he exclamied the second he saw her. He still sounded so joyful and confident that tears rised to her eyes.

"Uncuff him!" she demanded, turning to the Master. He nodded to the guards who unlocked the cuffs. Immidiately he pulled Rose to a fierce hug.

"Oh, you can't imagine how good it's to see you!" he said. "And you're brunette! Looks gorgeous on you."

Rose brust into tears just because he was so Jack and everything was so horrible.

"I'm so sorry", she sobbed against his cheast.

"Nah, I've gone through worse."

"No, I didn't mean this", Rose said. "I'm sorry you can't die."

"Oh, that one. It's not so bad. I'm over hundred years old and hot as what."

He grinned but Rose couldn't even smile.

"Does it hurt?" she asked.

"No."

"Please Jack, don't lie to me", she whispered. He was silent for a long while.

"Yeah, it hurts."

Rose started to cry again.

"Hey", he said. "It's okay. Maybe you can do something to fix this? You know, I saw the superhero you were that one day."

"I'm not a superhero", she said silently.

"Okay, now then", the Master said. "Maybe you, Rosie, can help me with something."

She felt cold shivers running up her spine. Not just because that sentence obviously included a threat, but also because of the fact that he called her Rosie again. She squeezed Jack's arm and turned to face the Master.

"Yes?"

She couldn't tell for sure but she thought she saw his cheeks turn pink. His eyes, on the other hand, were cold and sharklike.

"I know that the Doctor will never tell me, so you could help me to ask Harkness here a few questions."

"Why would I?" Rose challenged. The Master grinned and the idea of him blushing collapsed.

"Glad that you asked me that", he said. "If you don't, I'll kill him."

He took the laser screwdriver from his pocket. Her eyes turned dark.

"What if I don't answer?" Jack asked coldly.

"Well, then I'll kill her", he said, pointing at Rose.

"No you won't", Rose said immidiately.

"Rose", Jack said. "It's okay. I'll answer if I can."

Rose looked at him and smiled weakly.

"Don't worry Jack. I know what I'm doing."

The Master stepped closer and his smile turned twisted.

"Fine, I won't kill you. But I will remind you of the certain promise you gave to me, only your underwears on."

"What!" Jack shouted and added quickly "He's seen you in your underwears but I haven't?"

Rose knew that he was only trying to cover his shock as he had seen her in her underwears. The thing she had never told to the Doctor and propably never would if she could avoid it.

"Isn't he funny", the Master mocked. "I'm not. I'm dead serious."

"I don't believe you", Rose said, but she was already feeling a bit unsure.

"Oh, it doesn't matter that you don't believe me", the Master mused. He looked at Jack and grinned. "Because he does."

And Rose knew it was true. Even if she wouldn't believe he'd come to collect his price she knew Jack would never give him even possibility to do so.

"Where do you need me then? Why didn't you just come here and tell Jack that you'll hurt me if he doesn't do what you tell him to do?"

"You think I didn't try? He told me he wouldn't say a word if he wouldn't see that you are okay."

Rose gave a murderous glare to Master who only smiled.

"So, Nymphomaniac?"

Jack scowled him and nodded.

"Goodie!" the Master said joyfully and clapped his hands. "So, tell me. Where is Martha Jones?"

"I don't know", Jack said calmly.

"What do you know of the weapon?"

"What weapon?" Jack asked. "I mean, I know all kind of weapons. Is this some particular weapon?"

"I've heard rumors that UNIT created a weapon that can kill a time lord. It is in four parts."

That sounded so stupid and unlikely that Rose almost laughed. Jack, however, seemed to know something about it.

"Yeah, I've heard about it. It stops time lords from regenerating. One shot and you're dead."

"Where is this weapon?" the Master asked. Jack shrugged.

"I have no idea. Never needed it."

"Is Martha Jones looking for it?"

"Maybe, I don't know."

Rose's head spun. Was Martha looking for a weapon to kill the Master? Had Doctor told her to do so? Her Doctor? The Doctor who didn't do guns? Who hated guns and anyone holding them? She couldn't believe it. But how would Jack know about it if it didn't exist?

"What are the parts?" the Master asked.

"Don't know that either. I mean, UNIT doesn't kiss and tell if you know what I mean."

He flashed a grin at Rose. She tried to answer it but her head had started to ache again. She was waiting for a gilmpse again but it didn't come. The ache calmed down. Jack frowned.

"Rosie?" he said, conserned.

"How many weapons are there?" the Master asked and Rose couldn't answer to Jack.

"Just one, as far as I know", Jack said. "But, knowing Unit..."

"Doctor worked for UNIT", Rose said. "It can't be completely bad."

"It has changed a lot", Jack said sorrowfully.

"Speaking of which", Rose said narrowing her eyes. "I heard you work for Torchwood."

"I run Torchwood", Jack said. "I've spoken about this with the Doctor. He's not happy, but he's fine with it."

"Maybe you could save your quarrel for later", the Master said impatiently.

"Like you'd give us any 'later'", Rose snapped. The Master looked speachless and Rose turned back to Jack.

"But why?" she said. "After everything they've done? You know that it was their fault that I ended up... away."

It was still hard to speak about it. Not only because she had lost the Doctor while getting there but also because she had lost her mother, brother, new father and Mickey when she had come back here.

"I know", Jack said. "I'm sorry. I thought you died. So it wasn't easy for me either."

"And still you work in that organisation", she said, not even trying to hide her dissapointment. "I thought the Doctor thaught you better."

"Come on Rose, be fair", he said desperately, taking her hands into his. "I've made it better, I did it for the Doctor, and for you!"

She looked at him silently and nodded.

"Okay", she said. "I forgive you."

"Good!" the Master said. "Can we continue now?"

"I don't know anything more about the weapon", Jack said, still holding Rose's hands. The Master looked unhappy and pointed the screwdriver at Jack and shoot. He screamed and collapsed.

"Jack!" Rose cried and kneeled beside her. "Why did you do that!" she shouted at the Master who put the screwdriver back to his pocket. "He answered everything you asked! Why did you kill him!"

"I... it was..." he rised his hands to his ears and turned his back at Rose. Jack gasped and grapped Rose's arm. She turned to him, tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry", she sighed.

"Rosie", he whispered. "Don't let him hurt you."

She opened her mouth but no words came out.

"Come on Rose", the Master called. "I'll take you back to your room."

"Don't!" Rose shouted to the guards who came closer to tie Jack up. "Don't you dare! Take him out from here! Give him a proper room!"

The Master stopped and turned.

"Why?" he questioned. Rose stood up, helping Jack to stand too.

"Because I'm asking you to."

#####

 **A/N:** So here's Jack! I'm sure you all missed him already, I mean, who wouldn't? :D


	16. The Heartbeat

**A/N:** Hello my wonderful readers and thank you once again for your favorites, follows and comments! Over 70 follows, seriously! I thought I'd be lucky to have ten! Keep your comments coming.

 **Disclaimer:** Well, what can I say? Still not mine.

 **The Heartbeat**

Rose was restless. She couldn't stop walking around although she was tired, because every time she sat down she got an urge to stand up again. The horrible, sad view from the window down to the destroyed Earth didn't help at all. There were still spheres flying around, keeping watch, and if anyone tried to rebel... And Jack. It hurt to think of Jack, chained up like that. And yet he was able to keep himself so... himself. As she, after getting trapped into the wrong universe or imprisoned by the Master, didn't even try to stay up more than few hours at the time.

And the heartbeats. She still couldn't make a decision whether to tell the Master or not. Why would she? And then again, why wouldn't she? Would it cause any harm? Would it help? But if she wouldn't tell, then who would? Was it even the right answer? Was there even a question? Her head started to spun again with questions without answeres. She hoped it would help. If he'd find out where the sound was coming from, maybe he could stop hearing it? Maybe there would be a way to help him tolerate it? The Doctor had a doubleheartbeat as well, and he didn't heard it all the time. The Doctor... oh, if she could just see the Doctor again. Just see him, even through a glass... See his face, feel him in her mind. She missed the feeling of him in her mind. Did she miss feeling her in his? Of course he did. Right? Or was she just lying herself again? Was living in this lie better or worse than the truth? What was the truth? And why, oh why, was she asking these questions again?

#####

When the Master arrived she had made her decision. She wasn't sure whether either of them would gain anything from it, but it was worth a shot.

"I know what the drumbeat is", Rose began. The Master turned to look at her in surprise.

"What?"

"It's your hearts. That's why it was so familiar. The doublehearts."

When the Master started to shake his head she stepped closer, took his hands and pressed them against his cheast, above each heart.

"Listen!" she ordered. She could feel his mind brush against hers before she quickly closed hers. He looked at her hands on his and then her face. And suddenly he kissed her, forcefully, almost violently, and still very carefully. She stepped away, shocked, and, as she didn't know what to say, she hit him on the face. He blinked and raised his hand to his cheek. The red mark her palm had left was clear.

"What do you think you're doing?" she practically yelled. He lowered his hand eyes fixed on her.

"Oh come on!" he snapped. "Don't go telling me you don't know you're a desirable woman!"

Rose opened her mouth but closed it immidiately. What had he just say? He started to grin that twisted grin of his.

"You know it, I know it, the Doctor knows it. Or why do you think he's so attached to you?"

Rose blushed against her will and looked down, feeling ashamed not knowing why. What had she been thinking? She knew what. She had been thinking those unspoken words that the Doctor hadn't had time to say.

"You though it was _love,_ didn't you? Poor little Rosie thought the Doctor was in love with her. It was lust!" he yelled, face only two inches from hers. Then he backed off, starting to walk up and down the room.

"Time lords aren't meant to love. At the beginning it was thought love is a weakness. That is would be better if we wouldn't fall in love. Attachment was normal, it was okay, because attachment is not strong enough to hold through severest storms. You can be attached to someone and then kill that someone if he or she is a threat to you. But _love._ Loving someone would make you to be willing to _sacrifice_ yourself for the other. No. Time lords can't love. Love is for the weaker link."

Rose blinked hard to keep the tears away. There were so much sense in the Master's words. The Doctor had spoken so much of the time lords and their moral. It wouldn't be impossible for them to root out the love. But then again, hadn't the Doctor sacrifised himself hundreds and hundreds of times for the Earth? For someone he had just met? Punch of people whose names he propably didn't remember? Could he love people he had just met? No. He was only righteous man with high moral. He was just sicken of everyone dying. Maybe it was true, maybe he wasn't able to feel love. But what were the words he never had a change to say?

"I don't believe you", Rose managed to say. The Master snorted.

"That's your problem", he said coldly. "I'm being honest. Once in my life I'm telling you the truth. We. Can't. Love!"

One teardrop escaped from the corner of her eyes and she quickly wiped it away. The Master looked extremely out of order, his whole body was tense. His eyes were almost black. He rised his hands to his head and bent forward and agony, screamed in pain. A wave of pity fell over Rose and she stepped closer, placed her hand on his shoulder and, closing her eyes, focused to sen him comfort and peace but keeping everything else behind locked doors. She felt his muscles shudder. Then she saw something, just like when she had stepped into Doctor's mind. But this was different. It was much more dark, and messy, and load. At first she just new it was load but then she heard it. The drumbeat. It was terrible and strong and almost violent, and everything around her moved in the rythm, his mind was in constant movement. Everytime something started to build up one beat made it crumble down. She gasped and let go of him. He raised his eyes at her, and they were full of fear and desperation and sadness. She swallowed.

"I'm so sorry", she whispered as she didn't know anything else to say.

"Me too", he answered and his words broke. For less than a second Rose was sure he'd cry. Then he straightened his back and the curtain was pulled over his face.

"Heartbeats, eh?" he taunted. "You could try something more creative next time."

And, without telling her why he had come in in the first place, he left.

#####

Oliver was a nice, polite young gentleman. Rose learnt that he was working on the Valiant so he could help her family. The Master was sending people build up thousands and thousands of spaceships. Oliver was working for the Master so that his ill father and three younger brothers wouldn't have to.

"He wants to start a war with the rest of the universe", he said. "And just few years ago we thought we were all alone in the universe."

"When is he going to start the war?" she asked.

"The countdown says in seven months and six days."

The countdown? Hadn't she seen a countdown several times in her... glimpses?

"Thank you, Oliver."

"I only wish this would stop", he said.

"The Doctor will stop it", Rose said in confidence. He gave her a halfhearted smile.

"Excuse me for saying this, but I don't think he's up to anything while he's lokced up like the rest of us."

#####

When the Master told her that Jack had been moved to a different room and he wasn't chained anymore, Rose hugged him. He stayed still, arms hanging on his sides, like he wasn't used to be touched like this.

#####

Days went by. Oliver came three times a day. Every time he was able to tell Rose something that was happening behind the closed doors. He told that the Master had lots of ladies, some of them trying the same he was doing, some of them greedy and after the money. None of them stayed long. He told her that as far as he knew, Martha Jones was last seen in China.

"I don't get why she's in Asia. If I was in a run I'd find a nice little hole somewhere where no one would look and stay there."

"You don't know much about running, do you", Rose said smiling. "You need to keep moving. That's how no one finds you, you are never there when someone comes to look for you. And Martha, I guess she finds help where ever she goes. The whole world is against the Master."

"You know her?" Oliver asked curiously. Rose shook her head.

"No. But I know the Doctor. And he only chooses the best."

Oliver nodded.

"Thought so. He chose you", he said eyeing her. "I don't get how you are so calm and where you find reasons to smile when the Master is in order."

Rose didn't ask what he meant. She thought she already did. If she was held against her will, and away from the Doctor who she knew was in the Valiant and therefore very close, how was she this happy?

"What's the Master like?" she asked one day, curious to know how the man was presenting himself when she wasn't around.

"Brutal", Oliver said. "Cold, manipulative, evil, anxious, violent. He's constantly changening his moods and mind. He's very competitive. He has a short temper. He mostly communicates by yelling."

Rose felt something heavy and cold to drop into her stomack. That wasn't the Master she knew. Why was he so different around her? Was he pretending to be good or evil? Was he the villain? At the beginnig she had thought he was, then she had thought he didn't know even himself. Now she was in front of that question again.

"But shouldn't you know this already?" Oliver asked and waked her up from her strange world made of questions without answeres. "He visits you alot. You should know better than most, you've been his slave longer than any of us."

His slave. Those words send goosebumps up and down her spine. She wasn't his slave. She was his... his...

"Yeah", she said. "I don't know anything anymore."

Oliver left. She took a piece of toast and dipped it into the tea. She was his what? Did he knew what she was to him? Did he even care? She took a bite. Should she ask? What would she ask?

"This is like me thinking if the boy I like likes me", she mumbled a bit amused. When did this start to be so difficult?

#####

As the Master finally arrived, after almost three weeks, Rose was about to snap.

"Can I see the Doctor?"

"You can", he said, in her surprise. "We have something we need to discuss. Some questions only you can answer."

Rose was by the door before the Master had finished his sentence. He smiled sadly.

"Oh, Rose", he said in a warm, soft voice. "Still loving him? After everything I told you?"

"You said that time lords can't love", Rose said. "But humans can. And I'm a human."

He sighed.

"Yes, let's hope so, at the very least."

"What do you mean?"

He didn't answer but opened the door and lead Rose to the Doctor.

#####

In his room there was three chairs and a table full of papers, pens and a first-aid-kit. The Doctor was reading them through and raised his head when the door opened. His hair was a mess and there flashed a image of him running his hands through it in Rose's mind. A smile appeared on his face when he saw her.

"Rose!"

The way he said her name was the same and still there was so much more in that word than there had been ever before. She couldn't quite name what but she was sure it was more. She ran to him, crashed against his chest, and her mind was filled with his beautiful, shining presence. She sighed.

"No touching!" the Master ordered and Rose pulled away and took his hand in hers so she wouldn't loose the warm feeling.

"Or what?"

He opened and closed his mouth for few times before shrugging.

"Fine! No secretive conversations then."

She smiled softly before turning back to the Doctor.

"Hello", she said and gave him her signature grin. His smile grew and Rose's heart leaped. She loved that smile. She loved him. There came a sparkle in his deep, old eyes that told her he knew what she was thinking. She didn't dare to wish he would tell her, how much she wished he would tell her he felt the same, at least through their link. She held up that thought, didn't let it slip. His eyes didn't leave hers, his hand squeezed hers and he smiled that tantalizing smile of his. But he didn't think of loving her. Nothing like that came into her knowlidge. She felt that he was happy, conserder, relieved, ashame and blameing himself once again. There bleeded sadness and joy and warmth but no love. She knew there was a hurricane inside him right then, that his pulse was up, his anxiety heating up, and somewhere behind everything that stood in front of her eyes she saw his mind, sparkling and swirling and wonderful.

"What does my mind look like?" she asked. He smiled and, not breaking their eyecontact, moved his hand from hers to touch her cheek.

"Beautiful", he said. She blushed, partly for his words, partly because of his touch. He pulled her to another hug.

"I've missed you", he said. She closed her eyes and tried not to cry, because those words were the nearest ones to 'I love you' she'd propably ever hear.


	17. Blood of the Bad Wolf

**A/N:** Ok, I'm like the worst in anything that has anything to do with sience. Even in Finnish. But I'm doing my best to give you answers!

I'm still really happy with your comments, just keep them coming! I might have a treat for you, if, let's say, five of you comments to the next chapter ;) (Am I mean if I won't tell you what the treat is? Never mind, I still won't!)

 **Disclaimer:** I own the laptop and my fingers. That's all.

 **Blood of the Bad Wolf**

"Found anything from the papers?" the Master asked. "Did I miss something?"

The Doctor let go of Rose and went back to the table. Rose felt like she was falling and she closed her eyes. Was this what the Doctor felt all the time? What people felt all the time? This emptiness in their heads when there was nothing but their own thoughts?

"There are lot of holes", the Doctor said. "Like what happened right after most of the time vortex was removed. Why didn't it make an appearence until now?"

"That's why I brought her", the Master said, nodding towards Rose. "I guess she's the best person to know what happened."

The Doctor turned to look at her.

"Rose", he began. "We need you to tell everything that happened to you after you were trapped into the parallel universe."

Rose shrugged.

"I don't know. Nothing. I mean... What are you looking for?"

"You said you worked for Torchwood?"

"Yeah, we worked on a way to... for me to... get back", she avoided to look at the Doctor. "I know you said the wall should never be crossed again! But... things started to happen. And it kinda made it possible."

"Things? What kind of things?"

Rose shook her head.

"Long story. Had nothing to do with this."

"Did this happen ever in the parallel universe?" the Master asked, picking up one of the papers and frowning.

"No."

"So the first time was in the TARDIS the following day of your arrival?"

Rose nodded.

"Could it have something to do with the void?" the Master suggested, handing to the Doctor the paper he had been reading. The Doctor shook his head.

"Void doesn't cause things like this", he said. "It doesn't activate anything. Activate… No. Wait. Yes! Activate! Something turned it on! It was dormant until something activated it! It must've been something powerful enough to have an affect to time vortex but not so powerful it would kill. Something like a... an electirc shock! Got any electric shocks?"

Rose was grinning wildley as he was speaking. He was in his element, and as he took a hold of her shoulders to look her in the eye she felt his exitement run through her.

"Not that I remember", she said. "No, wait! I was an incident and... and they used that thing. That machiny that they use in tv. To start my pulse again."

"Defibrillator", the Doctor said automatically. The he stopped. "You didn't have pulse?!"

Rose smiled a little.

"I have pule now."

"What kind of incident?"

"Don't worry about it now."

"I worry about it until you tell me what it was!"

"A jump went a little wrong, okay?"

The Doctor didn't look at all happy with this but couldn't help it right then. The Master, however, was reading another paper.

"I think we should take another blood sample", he said. "I need you to see what happened."

The Doctor frowned and Rose felt his worry to leak into her mind.

"Okay", she said and pulled her sleeve up. "If that's what you need."

She didn't like needles, or blood, but is something really was going on inside her the only people able to do something to it were in that room. The Master opened the first-aid-kit and took a needle and a tube.

"Could you do it?" she asked the Doctor.

"Don't you trust me?" the Master asked, ghost of a smile on his face, but he gave the instruments to the Doctor. He cleaned the bend of her arm and Rose turned her head away, bit her lower lip as she felt the needle to pinch. Few seconds later she felt the Doctor pull the needle out and pressing a pandit on the tiny hole.

"Press this for a couple of minutes", he said gently. As Rose did what was told the Doctor stood and gave the tube to the Master.

"What was it you wanted to show me?" he asked. The Master took another needle from the kit, but this one was full.

"This is adrenalin", he said. He put the needle over the tube and droppedn a drip of adrenalin into it. Immidiately the blood in the tube turned deep gold and started to shine. Little bit of steam rised from it. Rose gasped. The Doctor went closer and bent to look the gold liquid in the tube.

"But that's like... like..."

"Like time vortex turned into liquid, I know", the Master said.

"She has time vortex in her blood", the Doctor said slowly. "That's gonna change her biology. A lot."

There was a moment of completely silence. The Master broke it.

"But that's impossible!" he yelled, suprisingly load and unsettled.

"So is the fact that she's here after being trapped in the parallel universe!" the Doctor yelled back. "But she is!"

"What's impossible?" Rose asked but neither of the men answered. They were too busy to kill each other with a look.

"If she dies..." the Master started.

"What?" Rose gasped.  
"She's not going to die", the Doctor said mockingly.

"Well I hope you are right", the Master snapped. "There's no use for a dead Rose to me."

"Will you just stop -"

"Oh the heath!" Rose shouted as load as she could. Both of the men turned to look at her.

"The... the heath?" the Doctor said confused at the same time the Master said "It's not hot in here."

"Yeah, well, I meant... never mind! What the hell are you to on about, me dying and -"

"You're not dying", the Doctor interrupted.

"Will you just let me finish?" Rose said angrily and the Doctor closed his mouth with a snap.

"Oh, she has you around her little finger, doesn't she?" the Master taunted.

"You too Master!" Rose snapped and he fell silent looking ashamed.

"You're to say", the Doctor mumbled, getting a glare from Rose and answering it with a grin which Rose find very hard not to answer.

"Shut up", she muttered, only making Doctor's smile grow. "Now", she said slowly. "Would you please tell me what's going on."

They started to speak at the same time and she raised her hand to stop them.

"Doctor?" she said.

"Why he gets the first turn?" the Master whined like a child who didn't get the icecream first. Rose didn't pay any attention on him, she only looked at the Doctor. He took a sharp breath.

"It seems that there is bits of timevortex left in you", he began. "It might be that I didn't get it all out of you. I should have! I thought I had. Seems that it causes the fact that you are now telepathic."

"And see glimpses of the future?" Rose asked. The Doctor paled.

"What? Why didn't you say this earlier?"

"I saw... dreams. About toclafane. And... and you. As an old man. That's why I..."

"That's why you stopped the ray", he ended. "But it didn't turn you any older."

Rose shrugged.

"Maybe it didn't work", she said, not believing it even herself.

"May I speak?" the Master asked. Rose looked for a while the Doctor, who seemed to be impossible worried, and turned to the Master. She nodded.

"When the ray hit you you died. You stopped breathing and you _died_ ", he sounded like saying it out load was hard for him. "And then", he continued. "It looked like regeneration energy."

The Doctor nodded slowly, eyes fixed on Rose's face.

"You were out for a month", the Master said silenlty, looking at the floor.

"What? A month? And you're telling this to me now?"

"You're changed", he said, skipping her question and looking at her. She swallowed.

"Into what?" Rose asked.

"Into the Bad Wolf", the Doctor said in a low voice. He turned his back at them and walked to the other side of the room and back again. Both Rose and the Master followed his walk silently.

"That's a childrenbook character", the Master said at last.

"So are fairies and werewolves and ghosts and mummies and what else", Rose pointed out.

"But bad wolf? Come on!"

"You found some kid had sprayed those words on your door", Rose remembered. "That was me."

Both men looked at her and then each others. They seemed to share a worry where Rose wasn't allowed to step in. And that irritated her. It was her they were worried about. Shouldn't she get something to say to that? Or at least know why they were so worried? Was she really going to die? If there was some remainings of the time vortex inside her... it had almost killed her earlier. The Doctor had died because of it. She was having headaches. Was she changing? Had she changed already? Why hadn't it happened before? What was different? Her head started to ache.

Master fell bakcwards.

Blood, a lot of blood.

Countdown.

"Rose?"

She blinked. The Doctor stepped closer and took a hold of her shoulders.

"Did you see something?" he asked. His voice was steady and surprisingly calm. Rose blinked again.

"I... I don't know. Why?"

He looked at the Master.

"Did you see that?"

"Yes."

"See what?" Rose asked. She was getting scared. Why didn't they tell her anything? Was it that dangerous that they couldn't even say it? If she was going to die would it be slow and painful, was that why they didn't tell her?

"No, Rose, calm down" the Doctor said and gave her a smile. It didn't really calm her as his eyes were so dark.  
"I mean it, it's okay. You're not going to die. I'm going to find out what's going on."

The Master cleared his throat and the Doctor let go of her.

"It has always left, you know", he said. "The... the regeneration energy, if that's what it is. When I saw it, it left. Vanquished in the air as quickly as it came. And now as well. It came and left."

The men looked at each other and the Doctor shook his head. The Master narrowed his eyes.

"Okay", Rose said holding both of her hands up. "I'm not stupid. You two are having a conversation. Again. Would you mind to let me in?"

She went to the Doctor and took his hand.

 _...need to learn how to..._

It was cut off immidiately when he noticed she was there also.

"Mind you, it's me you're talking about. I have a right to know what's going on", she said, more than a bit irritated and even angry. The Doctor, undoubtedly, felt it, as he sartled and turned to look at her sheepisly.

"She has a point, you know", the Master said lazily. She pulled her hand away and went to the Master.

"What's happening?"

He didn't meet her eyes.

"It comes and goes, the time vortex. In your eyes. Like it's living another life. Inside you. There's two persons there. There's Rose and that... bad wolf thing."

"What does it mean?"

"I don't know", he said hesitantly. Like he didn't like saying that any more than the Doctor.

"When was this incident you mentioned, when they needed to use defibillator?" the Doctor asked.

Rose shrugged.

"It was a few days before I ended up here."

"What?" the Doctor shouted. "Few _days_? After your heart stopped?"

"Yeah", Rose said, waveing it off. The Doctor looked incredibly unsettled by this, but just how was she supposed to tell him that actually she had made the next jump only few _hours_ after her heart had stopped beating for a while? That the situation in her universe was so bad that there wasn't time for any delays. She couldn't tell about it now, as now there was nothing he could do.

"So", said the Master who didn't seem to be shocked of her reckless behavior. "If we assume that that was the thing that activated the time vortex inside her, then how exactly is it working like that?"

"It can't be pure time vortex", the Doctor said. "She opened up the heart of the TARDIS. She absorbed the time vortex, yes, but also huon-particles and TARDIS-DNA."

"Don't go telling me there's a living time machine inside her", the Master taunted. The Doctor shook his head.

"No, I'm not telling you there's a living time machine inside her. You can't turn a TARDIS into a person, nor a person into a TARDIS. But you can put strange DNA into a person. It's like... like a donated organ! Your body can work with the organ although it's not the same DNA because other things match. So, if Rose already had time vortex inside her, her body was also ready to take some new DNA in it. And you know what TARDISes are like, they don't like intruders. So, the TARDIS-DNA propably tries to take a bigger space. That's why it happenes more often."

"Huh?" Rose said. She had lost the track somewhere between donated organs and DNA growing inside her. Anyway, it sounded omnious.

"But if it's eating me up..." she began worriedly. "Does it mean... I mean, when you said that a person can't be a TARDIS. And if the TARDIS is eating me up... I don't get it. What was it that you said?"

The Doctor swallowed visibly and glanced at the tube filled with golden liquid.

"I don't know", he said and those words were full of fear. Rose didn't like that, seeing the Doctor this worried. She turned to look at the Master, whose coolness in Doctor's precense she trusted, but he also looked worried. She swallowed.

"The most important thing is that you don't panic before we know what is going on and how to stop it."

"How long do I got until my DNA has changed completely?" she whispered. She felt suddenly cold and wrapped her arms around her. He stepped closer and rised his hands towards her face. He stopped, letting his hands to hang in the air.

"Do you trust me?" he asked. A small smile pulled on her face.

"I trust you."

He answered her smile and placed his hands on her temples.


	18. Answers

**A/N:** Thank you all once again for your comments and so on, keep them coming!

And Sorry! I'll pay your upcoming dissapointment back to you, I promise!

 **Disclaimer:** Still not mine as the sonic sunglasses STILL exist.

 **Answers**

 _There has never been anything like you, Rose Tyler._

She felt the Doctor taking her hand, or something like that, and pulling it mentally.

 _Come on, I'll show you._

She moved on. Not by foot, it didn't feel like walking. It was like she was flying, or just hoverin forward. Or everything around her was moving while she stayed still. She couldn't really tell. Her arounds where blentyful and colorful and oh so wonderful.

 _You're always been one of a kind but this... this makes you more than that. You're the first of your species, and propably the only one to ever exist. Look around you, we're in your mind. And by stepping in here..._

He lead her somewhere where everything was bright gold. Thick or seethrow or liquid or dustlike. It was shining and wonderful and breathtaking.

 _...you can control it. This is the Bad Wolf, that's how it looks like when she's in order._

She frowned. Did she have two minds? She heard the Doctor chuckle, the real Doctor, the Doctor made of flesh and bone, the... not that it mattered. It was weird. He laughed softly again.

 _The TARDIS turned into a human, or a human turned into a TARDIS, or something between, or something nothing like that at all. Maybe we never find out. But just know this, Rose, that a TARDIS can live forever, never be harmed, never be changed. The TARDIS protects her own. It requiers one of the strongest forces in universe to kill a TARDIS. And if I'm right, which I usually am, you, Rose, have all that in your DNA now. You and one of the most powerful things in the universe share the same DNA. You're a miracle, a fixed point, a fact, an impossible being. You're the Bad Wolf._

Doctor's words somehow echoed in her mind, through the darkness and goldness and all that bright light they pulled her up.

 _You need to learn how to control it, how to use it, how to know what to do with all that knowlidge you now have access to._

The Doctor pulled his hands from her temples. Rose felt like loosing her balance and took half a step forward. She took a deep breath. Time to face the real world and my destiny, she thought and opened her eyes.

It all made absolutely no sense to Rose. Yes, she knew what had happened, but it didn't mean she understood it.

"It's not about how slowly you say it!" she shouted in the end, when the Doctor had started to explain it all over again. "It's the whole thing I don't get! You said a TARDIS can't be a person!"

"I didn't say you're a TARDIS", the Doctor answered, about tenth time. "I said that you share your DNA with the TARDIS."

"Isn't that the same thing?"

"No, because you still got your own DNA among it!"

""But when I don't? What happenes then?"

The Doctor ran his hands through his hair and down his face.

"Will you tell her?" he said to the Master who had sat down and looked them with great interest.

"No no, I think you are doing a marvellous job", he said lazily and leaned back and crossed his arms on his cheast. "Go on."

Frustated, the Doctor tured back to Rose.

"Look", he began and Rose was sure he'd start the same monolog again. "I know that you're worried. I know _I'm_ worried. But we shouldn't worry about it right now. Right now we should... we... should. Well, we should hope for the best."

Rose blinked.

"What?"

She was completely, utterly astonished. That's was the best the Doctor could do? Hope for the best? He just gave up? Why? How? What?

"Rose", he pleaded. "I know what you're thinking. Give me your hand."

She hesitated just for a second, but it was enough for the Master to stand up.

"No telephatical conversations!" he snapped. Doctor's hand dropped. His eyes were dark when he looked at Rose who turn her eyes away. She was scared and all he could do was hope for the best? She was so dissapointed with him. She had waited for him to come for _years_. She had worked so hard to find her way back, she had tried to keep herself happy for _him,_ and he was _hoping for the best_?

"I want to go back to my room", she said silently.

"No, Rose, please", the Doctor said but she didn't answer.

"Will you take me there, Master? Or shall I go by my own."

The Master looked very surprised.

"Yeah, sure, I'll take you there", he said taking a step towards the door. The Doctor immidiatelu used the opportunity and grabbed her hand.

"Rose", the Doctor begged. Before the Master had change to stop him she felt something powerful and burning to pour over her. It hit her breath away and her heart jumped.

 _Until this is over._

The Master pushed him off with a load roar. Rose glanced at him wide eyed and he gave her a small and sad nod before the door between them closed.

#####

"Troubles in Paradise?" the Master mocked as he walked with her to her room. She didn't bother to answer, or even look at him. She wanted to be alone. Her heart was still beating almost painfully hard ans she couldn't place the feeling that the Doctor had sent her.

"The whole thing is complicated", the Master mused. "Not so simply to explain to humans at all."

Rose glared at him and he grinned.

"I'm not lying!"

"There are many humans who would understand, who have been examinateing that stuff for years..."

"And been wrong more times than right, and even when they're right they only know a small piece of the whole picture."

"And with those pieces they start to build the whole picture."

The Master laughed and Rose realized that it was the first warm and joyful laugh she had heard him to make.

"You just keep defending your own kind, even when you see how corrupted they are and how they keep killing each other time after time after time! Just like the Doctor and his pitiful attachmen to earthlings."

"What about time lords then, huh? Weren't you having the biggest war in space and time, and wasn't there much more civilians killed in that war than there has ever been in any human wars?"

The Master fell silent, he reached his hand and touched lightly Rose's shoulder. She winched as she felt his mixed emotions run over her and pulled away before she could really think of it. Sadness flashed in his eyes but they turned dark quite quickly.

"At least he knows his place now", he said. "And you know yours."

He opened the door and let Rose step in.

"Nighty night."

#####

Until this is over. Until what is over? Her turning into the Bad Wolf? Master's plans? The end of the universe? Rose walked a small circle around her room, cahngening the direction every time she started to feel dizzy. She was tired ans stressed and very close to the edge but she just couldn't stop. Why was it again that she loved the Doctor? Hadn't he borken her heart more than once? Didn't he send her away every time there was a opportunity? Didn't he held secrets from her? She sat down only to stand up again. She felt like breaking something. It felt like her whole life was falling into pieces. The life she had been building up so carefully after the Doctor had said his final goodbyes on the Bad Wolf Bay. And now, now it was crumbling down again. She cried out load with furstration and anger. Why was he doing this to him? What had 'until this is over' meant? And what was the strong, scary feeling that hit her with such a force? She pressed her palms on her closed eyes and tried to step into her own mind to stop all these annoying questions to leak through. She couldn't do it quite so well and quickly as the Doctor, and that irritated her. The whole idea of the Doctor irritated her. She hated him. She hated to love him. Why did she still love him so much it hurt?

#####

Next time the door opened it wasn't Oliver or the Master. It was Lucy. She was pale, skinny and had a bruise on her lip. Rose stood up immidiately.

"Did he do that?" she asked, not minding about saying hello. Lucy looked at her with large, scared eyes. She backed off, searching for the doorknob behind her back.

"I shouldn't have come at all", she muttered.

"No, Lucy, don't go", Rose said warmly and smiled. Sure, this woman was naive and stupid and greedy but right now it didn't matter. "Come here. Sit down."

Lucy hesitated, she looked around in doubt and fear, and Rose knew she was looking for a camera. Rose went to her and took her hand.

"It's okay. Come on."

She pulled gently and Lucy let her to lead her to the chair. She sat down and started to cry. Rose felt helpless, she didn't know whether she should hug her or just let her be. She laid her nad gently on her shoulder.

"Hey", she said and smiled sadly. "What is it? You can tell me."

Lucy raised her teary eyes at her.

"You were right", she whimpered. "You were right. You were right."

She started to cry again.

"Lucy", she said in a serious voice. "Did Harry do this to you?"

She nodded through her tears. Rose took a tissue and gave it to her. She wiped her eyes carefully, avoiding to mess her perfect makeup.

"I don't know what went into me", she said. "I should have known. When he killed that woman... I should have stopped it. Before that... when you... but I thought. I don't know what I thought!"

Rose listented her silently and gave her another tissue. She took it, tapped her cheeks and sneezed loadly. She blushed.

"Sorry", she said ashamed. Rose smiled.

"Come on, it's not like I didn't know that even women might need to blow their noses sometimes. You can be as snotty as you like."

Lucy let out a small laugh and a hiccup and that was the most honest voice Rose had ever heard her make. She grinned.

"Harry was so good to me", Lucy finally said, leaning back on the chair and placeing her hands on her lap. "He promised me so much. I was ready to do anything for him. I even loved him, you know. I didn't care that he visited you, I loved him so much."

She sighed and one tear rolled down her cheek.

"You don't need to explain", Rose said. "I know he can be very nice if he wants to."

"He had been very nice to you", Lucy said bitterly. Rose nodded.

"Yes, he has. But he has also ripped my life apart and left me cry in the ruins."

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked. Rose shook her head.

"Doesn't matter. Because you know what's the biggest problem? To make him stop. I don't know how long he is ready to go, or what his plans are after the countdown. I don't know whether any of us survives from that, but we need to stay together. Maybe we can change what is to happen."

Lucy shook her head violently.

"No we can't. You don't know him if you think he'll ever change his mind."

"If we can't, someone else can. The Doctor can."

As bitter as she was she still trusted the Doctor, would trust him with her life no matter how much he'd hurt her.

"The Doctor", Lucy said. "Do you trust that he can save us, even when the situation is like this?"

"Yes", Rose said firmly. "He has done it thousands of times, and will do it thousands in times in the future. He will save us all."

#####

When Oliver brought Rose's lunch she asked if he had seen Lucy.

"She's here, yeah", he answered. "Don't know what she sees in him. Surely she has known the whole time."

"Have you seen her... you know..."

He frowned.

"Beaten up", Rose said as he didn't seem to understand. He shook his head.

"I don't see her every day. Has he been hitting her? Not that I'd doubt it. I think he's capable of anything."

She felt so dissapointed. First the Doctor and then the Master, they both betrayed her. She had known that the Master wasn't the kindest person but she had hoped... she had hoped that just maybe he had changed.

#####

The very worst thing was that Rose didn't know what to do anymore. After she was left to the other universe her goal was to find her way back. After she had done that her goal was to find the right universe. After that she had waited for the Doctor to come. Now that he was there and not able to do anything she didn't know what she should do. She had tried to reason the Master, sometimes she had thought she had succeeded, but then Oliver came in to tell her what a monster the Master was when she wasn't around. So there was nothing to do than wait and hope for the best. Just like the Doctor had said. Hope for the best. Was Martha their only hope? Was she looking for the parts to the gun so she could kill the Doctor? Was it really their only hope? Until this is over... Did that mean until the Master is dead? Until he's killed? Rose fell backwards on her bed and hid her face into her hands. She wished it would be over, but did she wish the Master to be dead? Did she want him to die so this all would end? He was so nice to her, but if he was so cruel to others... She groaned and kicked her shoes off. She hated to have so many questions in her mind. She was sure there hadn't been so many before. She just wanted one quiet moment without any thoughts.

"Shut up", she said to the Bad Wolf who was knocking her forehead with a growing headache. "I don't have time for that now."

"Japan is down and so is Martha Jones!"

"I said shut up!" she shouted.

Countdown.

Master falling to the floor.

"Are you trying to tell me something? Is there something I should change?" Rose asked. She closed her eyes. "Okay, show me."

For a moment everything around her was shining and gold. Then pictures started to run in front of her eyes. Pictures of the future, horrible pictures of the ruins of the Earth, galaxies falling down, endless screaming.

"Japan is down and so is Martha Jones!" Master's voice said and an echo answered over and over again.

Rose gasped and opened her eyes. That's it then. She needed to stop... what? She needed to stop the Master destroying Japan? But how? And how would she know when to do it?


	19. Learning Communication

**A/N:** Here you have the next chapter, my dear readers! I have finished this now UNLESS you are very keen to have an extra chapter, epiloge of some short. Most if not all of you know without saying what that would likely be. No, nothing like that! Sorry!

 **Disclaimer** : The very usual.

 **Learning Comminication**

Next time the Master came Rose shot him a glare that could kill. He hadn't said a word but his smile fell.

"What did I do this time?"

"Lucy came to see me", she answered poisonously.

"She did? And?"

"What did I tell you about hurting her? You do that again and I promise I won't spear you."

He swallowed and all the color left his face. Rose wondered whether she had gone too far. Was he scared? Of her? Could she really kill him? No. But what was the blood in her hands when she saw glimbses of the future?

"It was just one time... she annoyed me. She..." he swallowed again. "I'm sorry."

"I'm not the one you should appologize to!" Rose shouted. The Master came closer and took her hands, not letting go when she tried to pull of.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry Rose. Rose, please, forgive me."

She stared at him, feeling with every inch of her body how much he regretted everything. All of that guilt and raw fear filled her heart and lungs and she wondered whether he felt like that all the time, and if he did why he kept going. She kept her thoughts safely behind locked doors when his hands squeezed hers.

"Master", she began slowly but cut of when she didn't know what to say next. She cleared her throat. "Master", she started again, more firmly. "Don't ask my forgivness. It's Lucy you should talk to."

"You forgive me then?" he whispered despretly. She swallowed. This was so different, so strange, to see him this desperate.

"What does it matter whether you have my forgiveness or not?" she asked, trying to pull her hands free again. He only held them tighter.

"Everything", he said. Rose looked him in his lightbrown eyes and shook her head. He let go of her hands.

"What does the Doctor have that I don't?" he asked bitterly.

Rose looked up in surprise. Well, this was something she hadn't waited.

"Huh?" she asked bluntly.

"What made you fall for him? I'm just curious to know how he does that."

The Master said it like an explanation to his question. Rose looked at him for a while and turned her head away, thinking. She had thought it over and over again, trying to answer the questions about the matter with understandable words. She loved him because of what he was, all of it, every single thing in him, even the things she didn't like she loved.

"Because he's the Doctor", she finally said.

"What does that mean?" the Master asked.

"It means that he's... that he's never cruel or cowardly, that he never gives up or never gives in", she said, remembering the words the Doctor had told her, bitterly and with the weight of his sins on his shoulders. "It means that he's brave even when he's scared."

"He had done a lot of bad."

"Don't start that again..."

"But it's true! I'm ruleing the world, Rose! Me! Don't you see what that could mean?"

"Tell me. Are you going to stop the wars? Take care that no one's suffering? End the hunger? Are you going to be a good man, Master?"

The Master opened and closed his mouth for several times, cleared his throat and stepped closer, all muscles tensed.

"The Doctor is scared now", he hissed, anger growing in his eyes. "So scared he's ready to do almost anything."

"Yes, he is scared. But not behalf of himself but for everyone else. He's always ready to sacriface himself to save others. He doesn't need to rule to feel safe."

The Master stared at her for a long while, then all his muscels relaxed at the same time and he dropped on the chair and buried his face into his hands.

"What should I do?" he mumbled. Rose looked at him and felt pity. This man was just scared and alone, running and running away from his past and future. Just like the Doctor.

"You're not so different, you know", she said silently. The Master looked up from his hands.

"What do you mean?"

"You both fought in the Time War. You both were scared. You both are alone, emptiness in your heads", she paused. "You both could give so much to the world but only one of you does."

The Master shivered.

"Is that why you forgave him?" he asked. "Is that why you won't forgive me?"

"It's not that simple", Rose said. "Forgiveness takes more than apologizes. It takes trust that the person won't do it again, that the apologize is honest. And I don't trust you enough to believe you won't do it again."

He shook his head slowly very long time.

"You know me Rose", he said so silently that she hardly heard. "You're the only one who does."

"I don't know you at all", she said. "What you are here and what you are behind those doors, which one is the real you, I don't know."

"This one", the Master said. "That one", he said then. "Both", he ended and hid his face to her palms again. Rose sighed and stepped closer, kneeled before him and laid her hand on his knee. He startled when he felt her in his mind. She sent him her pity and encouragement and he took all that willingly, yearning more. She knew he was looking for forgiveness but she couldn't give it to him. Not as long as the extremely delicate trust that had started to build between them had been ripped apart by Lucy. He seemed to sense that and his guilt grew. He pulled off and stood.

"I'm sorry", he said once again.

"Tell that to Lucy", Rose answered.

#####

The Master didn't show up the next time, or the whole week. Rose wondered if he was in a battle with himself. She hoped he was, and that the part of him that he was with her would win the fight. Meanwhile she started to train her own mind. She tried to co-operate with the Bad Wolf. It was so strange to talk with herself, especially when she learnt how the Bad Wolf answered. It was mostly imagines and words, the same ones from the future and some of the past. Sometimes they were pictures that she couldn't place anywhere, like dark corridors, a ginger woman and another woman with wiledly curly hair in a spacesuit. She thought that they might be from some alternative future. She remembered that the Doctor had once told her that he was able to see everything that is, was, could be and must not. Maybe she was seeing the same. But how could she tell if the curlyhaired woman was could be or must not?

#####

When the Master came she knew that her hopes were empty. He had his greedy, manic grin in his face.

"I have located Martha Jones", he told her.

"Yeah?"

"Yes. I thought that you'd like to see your boyfriend. How about a movienight? Popcorn, comfy chairs and watchin how the Japan is bombed down?"

"Japan is down and so is Martha Jones!"

And with that a horrible clear feeling that said must not, must not, MUST NOT.

Rose looked at the Master and opened her mouth but the feeling 'must not' changed into a 'not yet' and she closed her mouth. So the Bad Wolf was giving her hints instead of taking over. She liked it that way. So she shrugged and stood, following the Master out of the room and to Doctor's one. He was tied down with a ducktape by his wrists and anckles and looked quite huffed of it. He wringled his hands trying to loosed the tape. When he saw who came in his eyes went large.

"Rose", he said with a tense voice.

"Why have you tied him up?" Rose asked the Master. He sat down and tapped the chair next to him.

"You two weren't listening when I said no telephatical conversations", he answered.

"Nobodys stopping me from touching him", Rose pointed out.

"And yet you havent", the Master answered calmly, almost bored, and Rose realized it was true. She looked at the Doctor who looked back with sorrowful eyes.

"And even if I did tie you up we all know your other... side... would be able to break the ties", the Master added. "But that's not why we are here!"

"Why are we here?" the Doctor asked, still wringling the ties. "These are quite tight, you know. I hardly have any blood circulation in my fingers. You could loosen them a bit. Or take them away completely. I won't touch Rose when she doesn't want it."

Rose blushed and felt a bit guilty. Why hadn't she hugged her? It wasn't like she was mad at him. Maybe it was just that weird feeling, like someone was whispering into her ear, or more like out of her ear, somewhere inside her head, repeating that now all she needed to do was to keep the Master happy. She didn't realize that feeling until she started to think of it. Master's snort woke her up from that feeling.

"You might not be trouble to her but I wouldn't say you'll be happy to see what I'm gonna show you."

Someone knocked the door and the Master stood to open it. Rose took advantage of his momentarily abcense and turned to look at the Doctor.

"I'm sorry", she said.

"Don't be. I deserve this."

"No you don't."

A large screen was pushed into the room and turned on. The Master sat down as a view opened into the screen. It was a satellite video, and Rose guessed that the country shown was Japan.

"In fiveteen minutes my men will be there and ready to open fire. Or drop the bombs to be exact. There won't be any survivers."

He looked at the Doctor.

"Your little Martha Jones has told to be in Japan. I don't know where there so I need to take the whole country down."

"No!" the Doctor's reaction was powerful and so raw it hurt. Rose felt a tiny stung in her head, the Bad Wolf told her it was time.

"Remember when I told you always think again?" she said.

"How could I forget your little harangue?" he taunted.

"Have you?" she asked, skipping his mockery. He fell silent and seemed to think of it.

"Is there any reason you should destroy the whole country because of one woman?" she asked.

"If that's the only way to stop her coming here to kill me then yes!"

"Come on", Rose said irritated, feeling Doctor's worried eyes on her but not moving hers away from the Master. "You are better than this!"

"What would it change?" he asked suddenly. "If I don't do this, if I call my men and tell them to back off, what will it change?"

"What will it change?" Rose asked, not beliveing he asked that question. "What won't it change! Everything changes, the whole future changes! Look!"

And withoug really thinking, she took his hand and let him see what the Bad Wolf had showed her. The Master pulled his hand away and raised his hand.

"Don't you dare!" the Doctor yelled and the Master's hand stopped in the midair. Rose looked him tightly.

"Don't you get it? There is no future where you're heading! It's all gonna end if you keep going like this!"

He took her hand.

 _But you won't forgive me._

Knowing what the Doctor thought was completely different than knowing what the Master thought. Doctor's thought seemed to be pure and clear when Master's were haste and complicated, like he really didn't want her to know it but let her anyway. She swallowed.

"You won't know that if you do this", she said. She felt the war that stormed in his mind, as both of his sides attacted to each other, and the drumbeat growing loader and loader. Suddenly he pulled off and took the walkie-talkie from his belt.

"Cancel the operation!"

Rose heard the Doctor sigh deeply and looked at him. He smiled at her priedly and Rose felt a warm flush of affection hit her. No, she couldn't keep angry or bitter to that man for long. She loved him and there would never be anything to do to that. She grinned at him, tounge poking out between her teeth, and his smile changed to a happy, goofy grin she adored. She stood up and went to the Master who was leaning his forehead against the window, breathing heavily.

"Hey", she said gently and touched him. He turned to her and she smiled at him warmly. "I'm so proud of you. Thank you."

She kissed him on the cheek.

#####

"Two months 'til the countdown ends", Oliver informed Rose. "People are scared to death. And that's propably what follows. I can't imagine that anything good follows the universal war."

Rose couldn't help feeling dissapointed. Although the Master had called off destruction of Japan he still hadn't called off destruction of the universe. She doubted that the Earth would be destroyed. After all, he needed a place to stand and rule. She would've asked him about that but he didn't show up. Lucy didn't either, and Rose wondered whether it was because she was safe or because she wasn't. She sent the Master a message to come and see her but he didn't answer it. So for the past two months Rose had been alone as Oliver her only visitor.

Rose was thinking over and over again why the Master didn't come. She had thought that he might have feelings for her. He had almost said it, he had been much closer to say it than the Doctor ever had. No, now she was lying, because the Doctor had been so close too, once, only seconds away. And with the Master there wasn't any seconds that might close up. So maybe she had imagined it all. Why was this all so terribly difficult, it was like she was teenager again. And why was she even thinking if the Master liked her or not when she didn't like him. Not in that way, anyway. No, not in any way! What was wrong with her?

#####

"I've heard that Martha Jones has returned to Europe", Oliver said one day. "I don't see why."

"Maybe she has a plan to stop the Master", Rose said, thinking the gun in four parts.

"You think so?"

"I believe that the Master wouldn't bee so keen on killing her if he didn't think she has", she shrugged. Oliver seemed to pounder it for a while.

"Yeah, guess you're right", he said. "Although, I did hear he was meant to blow up whole Japan."

"Yeah, but he didn't."

"Guess he doesn't want Martha dead so much."

Rose shrugged. She certainly hoped he didn't.

"Okay. Thanks Oliver. And will you tell him again that I want to see him?"

"Sure", he said. "Although I don't really get why you want to see that bastard."

"I have something I need to tell him", she said.

"Can't you send that thing as a message?"

She shook her head.

"Alright. I tell him again that you want to see him. Although I think that he still won't come, like he didn't yestarday or the week before..."

"Tell him", she hesitated. It propably wasn't a good idea to say this to Oliver. She went to her table, ripped a piece of paper and wrote a note she gave to Oliver. "Give him this."

#####

It took two days until the Master arrived. He closed the door,took a piece of paper from his inner pocket and cleared his throat.

"I got your little messagel. Honestly I was thinking a little longer. These three words though... why to write them anyway?"

"They took you here, didn't they?" Rose asked.

"So it was just a plan? You wrote these words with a light heart, not really meaning them, just because you were bored?"

"No!" she argued automatically. Although, she thought, it was partly true. She was bored. And she missed his company. No, she didn't, she missed anyone's company.

"Fine, I'll arrange my timetable and we can do something fun. Oh! I have an idea!"

He grinned happily.

"What?" Rose asked.

"It's a surprise!"

And he bouched out of the room before Rose could say anything else.

#####

That night he came and lead her to the top of the Valiant. Sky above them was clear. It was freezing cold.

"I thought to bring you see the stars", he said. "You must like stars. Otherwise you wouldn't go ans travel with a complete stranger through them."

Rose smiled a bit and wrapped her arms tightly around her to keep the cold away.

"Oh. Sorry."

The Master took off his coat and put it on her shoulders, pulling it together in the front. He looked at her with a soft smile that made Rose blush.

"Thanks", she said and he let go of the lapels. Rose snuggled into the coat and remembered one time with her first Doctor. They had been on a planet somewhere where there were very active aurora borealis in the nightsky. It had been freezing cold and the Doctor had given her his leatherjacket, saying that his superior time lord genetics wouldn't let him feel cold. He had lied as he was shivering after ten minutes and Rose had had to force him back to the TARDIS, take a hot bath and drink large cup of tea. She had even forced him to sleep. She smiled at the memory. Sometimes she still missed her Doctor in leather. She turned to look at the nightsky. Her breath steamed. The sky was dark blue and lilac, stars were blinking brightly. It was so familiar it was almost comforting. There had been so many times she and the Doctor had been watching the stars, planning where to go next, her hand in his. She suddenly realized her hand was in Master's hand and quickl pulled it away. He looked at her.

"There's something about you Rose, something that I don't get."

He reached his hand like to touch her cheek.

"It's like you've bewitched me", he murmured, hand just an inch away from her face before he pulled it away. He walked away and back again.

"I don't know if it's this regeneration..." he came back to her and this time his hand wiped hair away from her face. "Or is it just the fact that your face was the first face this face saw..."

He jumped away again, eyes wide, horrified. "I can't handle this anymore. I can't stop this happening. It should be impossible... but it's not like you haven't done impossible possible before."

Rose felt her heart beat faster, she felt dizzy and fuzzy and the open air started to feel tight, like it was strungling her. She didn't want this to happen. This was bad.

"Rose. Rose, Rose, Rose", he repeated her name. His hands were shakeing. "Could you ever love be back Rose?"

She felt the Bad Wolf in her mind, strong and angry, and used all her willpower to keep her in control. But she couldn't answer, there was no answer.

"Don't", Rose said with a broken voice. "Don't do this."

All the hopeful light on his face dissapeared and left his eyes empty.

"I'm sorry", Rose whispered, tears filling her eyes. "I'm sorry."

He shook his head, not looking at her anymore.

"I understand."

He stepped further away from her and just to avoid looking at his misrable, broken face she turned her face towards the sky. And she saw it, one star just above her dissapeared. She paled and swallowed. So, it had began in here as well. The world was coming to it's end and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it.

#####

 **A/N:** I wasn't sure whether I should write the last part of this chapter or not... It's a huge thing, don't you think? But I guess it had to be written. Hope you'll like it!

Still waiting for your wonderful comments!


	20. The Countdown Ends

**A/N:** So here we are, the Countdown day! I wanted to give Martha her Moment so I didn't touch her speach. It's a wonderfully written speach and I couldn't do it any better so I left it be as it was. There's still little changes here and there. I hope you'll enjoy it!

Just to let you know that after this there's gonna be just two more chapters!

 **Disclaimer:** Nothing new to say here.

 **The Countdown Ends**

The last weeks before the countdown was going to end were the most horrifying. She knew that even if the Master would start the war with the rest of the universe, even if he would win, his time as the Master and King of everything wouldn't last long before the end much greater would come. After they had noticed the stars going out in the other universe they had started to find a reason to it. The came the fluxes in the walls between realities. And they knew it was dangerous, but it also gave her possibility to try and find her way back. They knew they needed the Doctor and she was ready to go and find him. And now all she could do was ask herself whether she should tell the Master or not.

She asked what the Bad Wolf thought but she reminded silent. So she made the decision on her own.

#####

"I have some news to tell you!" the Master informed her one had been avoiding her again, and when he wasn't he had been cold and distant. She couldn't really blame him for that, not after how she had been acting every time after the Doctor had hurt her.

"I need to speak to you and the Doctor", Rose answered. She thought that maybe, just maybe, she could make him change his mind.

"Why?" he asked, forgetting his news.

"I have something really, really important to tell you two."

"What is that, if I may ask?" his voice had a polite, angry touch in it. "That you have made your choise between the rivals? Wasn't that clear from the very beginning?"

"Master, please don't make this any harder", Rose pleaded. "And no, not about that."

He sighed.

"I have never really learnt how to say no to you", he said. "Come on then."

#####

Once she stepped in to the Doctor's room she couldn't help but run to him. He answered to her embrance with all he had and she felt that powerful, breathless something to fill her again.

"Now there", the Master said. "You don't want me to tie him up again, do you? So let go of him and come here."

She gave a sad look to the Doctor and did as she was told.

"Rose here says she has something really important to say to us. Something that doesn't have anything to do with... you know", the Master waved his hand between the three of them. The Doctor scowled at him and turned to Rose.

"What?" the Doctor asked. Rose made a small break to think how she was supposed to say this.

"Remember when I said that things started to happen and... and I jumped cross several universes to find my way here?"

The Doctor nodded, frowning. He looked worried. And well, he should be worried.

"Well, the truth is... that our schedule was pretty thight. And I made at least ten jumps a day... because, well, because few days delay. So actually, after my heart stopped, I made my net jump after three and half hours. If we would've waited, it could've been disastrous."

She made a quick glance at the Master, who frowned, and then back to the Doctor. He looked like he couldn't decide which of Rose's words he should point out first.

"Why disastrous?" he finally asked. "Is something happening? Is it Jackie? Is she in danger?"

She hesitated. Now that she was here she wasn't so sure if it was a good idea to tell about it after all.

"Oh, please, do enligthen us", the Master said with his distant voice said. Rose frowned at him before turning to the Doctor.

"You're not gonna like this."

"Rose, please."

She sighed.

"The stars are dying", she began. "The darkness is coming."

"What?"

"That's all I know. The walls between the universes are weak. That's how I was able to come back."

He reached out and took her hand, caresing her palm with his thumb. She felt shivers running up her spine as he did so, and rised her eyes to meet his. She let him see everything he needed to see, everything she knew about what was happening. She had some kind of hold of it now, she knew how to control what he was able to see and what not.

"That's not good", he said, and she knew it was all he was able to say right that moment. She shook her head.

"No, it's not."

"So all the universes are crumbling down", the Doctor said with a hollow voice. "And no one's there to stop it."

"But there is, actually", Rose said. "There's you two."

Both of the men looked at each other with a surprise.

"And the TARDIS", Rose continued.

"The TARDIS isn't free for anything like that right now", the Master said.

"What do you mean?" Rose asked. She looked at the Master, who avoided looking back, and then to the Doctor, who looked heartbroken. "What's wrong with the TARDIS?" she demanded.

The Doctor cleared his throat.

"He's turned it to a paradox machine."

She twirled to the Master.

"You did what?"

"I need the TARDIS where it is now. After this is over we can deal with the end of that universe bullshit."

Doctor's face flamed and he stepped closer. The Master paled and took a step behind even though he had his laser screwdriver in his pocket and the Doctor was unarmed. But Rose couldn't really blame him. When the uncoming storm grew in Doctor's face she was always happy she was on his side.

"There will be no universe for you to rule if we don't end this now!" the Doctor said calmly, threat leaking from his voice. Rose stepped between them and Doctor's eyes warmed. She smiled at him and turned to the Master.

"Why is this whole thing so important to you? And I want the truth! Not any of that I'm a time lord and I want to rule stuff. I'm not buying that." she asked.

"Because I want it to end", he whispered. "The drumbeat. Because maybe when the empire is established, and there's a new Gallifrey in the heavens, maybe then it stops. It started in the Gallifrey when I looked into the Vortex. That's when it started. So maybe it will stop there as well."

He was shakeing visibly, haunted look in his face. For the first time Rose saw how tierd he was.

"What if it doesn't?" she asked.

"Then I have to do something else", he said. "But I have to try."

"You should've left the TARDIS out of your expiriment", the Doctor hissed between his teeth.

"Oh, but you didn't see it. It's better for them, Doctor", Master's voice started to rise and his eyes darkened. He smiled that manic smile of his and Rose knew that something that had been there was now lost.

"You shoud have seen it", he continued. "Furnaces burning, the last of humanity screaming at the dark. I practically saved them."

"What are you talking about?" Rose asked.

"All that human invention that had sustained them across the eons. It all turned inwards. They cannivalised themselves."

Rose had cold shivers of his voice. She hadn't heard that voice in months. He never spoke to her with that voice.

"It was my masterpiece!" he rejoyed. "A living TARDIS, strong enough to hold the paradox in place and allowing the past and the future to collide in infinite majesty."

Right then Rose knew what he meant.

"The spheres..." she said slowly.

"Yeah", the Doctor said in a broken voice.

"How could you!" she screamed to the Master. "Haven't you learnt anything? It's not your job to change timelines like that!"  
"I'm a time lord", he hissed and Rose backed off just because his eyes were so dark when he looked

at her. "I have that right."

The Doctor stepped in front of Rose, reaching his hand to cover her, and the Master laughed.

"You really think I'd hurt her? After all this time with humans and you're still so very blind."

"But even then", the Doctor said, trying to stop Rose from coming away from his cover. "Why come all this way just to destroy?"

"Time lords and humans combined, building a new empire together", the Master said, grinning. "Haven't you always dreamt of that, Doctor?"

"But there's not gonna be a empire to rule if we don't stop the universe from collapsing!" Rose said loadly, pushing beside the Doctor and stepping before the Master.

"Oh, I will stop anything that will come to my way", the Master said. "Once my empire is ready."

"Please", the Doctor said.

"Ah-ah-ah", the Master sing-songed, holding one finger. "Just remembered something I had to tell you. Martha Jones in back in London. And I'm just going to go and get her here to meet us. Isn't that fun? Old gang together again? Me, you, the nurse and little Rosie? Oh, we are all going to have so much fun! Before I kill her."

With that, he took a firm hold of Rose's arm and, not minding of her struggles, pulled her out of the room.

#####

Martha Jones was in London. Rose had thought that she needed to come before the countdown hit zero but she had never thought she'd leave it in the last day. Did she have the weapon? Was she ready to kill? Would the Master find her and kill her before she had time to shoot? She hoped the Bad Wolf would show her something, but all she got was the same image of the Master falling backwards. And that made her feel awful as with the image didn't come the feeling of must not.

#####

The following morning Oliver came to tell Rose she was expected to join the Master who had captured Martha. Rose was worried. So Martha had failed. What hope was left now?

"You know what's happening?" she asked.

"Guess he's going to kill her infront of you and the Doctor. There's nothing anyone can do anymore."

Oliver sounded defeated and Rose felt the same. She had tried so much! And now everything was gone. The universe was going to be lost and everything would die before it even really began.

#####

The room was the same one she had been in when Master's rulership began. There was the Master a few guards, Lucy, Jack and soon after her the Doctor in handcuffs was brought in and tied into a chair. He looked dark and didn't say a word.

"See, Rose, this is where it begans", the Master said to her. She shook her head.

"You're wrong. This is where it ends."

He grinned at her.

"No, you're wrong!"

He turned around and smiled to the camera.

"Citizens of Earth", he announcced. "Rejoice and observe."

The door opened again and two guards brought Martha Jones in. This was the first time Rose really had a change to look at her. She was beautiful and held herself up proudly and without fear. She almost looked satisfied. Like... like this was something she had wanted all along. Rose's heart leaped. Was there another plan? Or was this the very original plan?  
"Your teleport device, in case you thought I'd forgotten", the Master said, holding out his hand. Martha took it out and threw it to him. He put it into his pocket. And like he was scared to look at Rose he faced Martha.

"And now, kneel. Down below, the fleet is ready to launch. Two hundred thousand ships set to burn across the universe. Are we ready?"

"Master, please", Rose began but the Master gave a sign and one guard took out his gun and pointed it to Rose.

"I'm warning you, Rosie, right now I just might loose it."

And this time Rose didn't doubt it. He seemed to be on an edge of a breakdown.  
"The fleet awaits your signal. Rejoice!" someone annouced. Rose started to get scared. Maybe she had missunderstood Martha's expression, maybe -.

"Three minutes to align the black hole converters", the Master continued. "Counting down. I never could resist a ticking clock", he grinned. "My children, are you ready?"

"We will fly and blaze and slice", metal voices came out. "We will fly and blaze and slice."

The Master looked pleased.

"Don't be scared, Rose dear. I make sure no one hurts you. As long as you don't try to stop it's too late for that, anyway."

"Master", she tried one more time but he jumped away from her.

"At zero, to mark this day, the child Martha Jones, will die", he smiled at Martha. "My first blood", he mused. "Any last words? No? Such a disappointment, this one. In this very room is a girl who could absorb the time vortex, change herself in the name of... well, guess it was love. This one's useless. Bow your head. And so it falls to me, as Master of all, to establish from this day, a new order of time lords. From this day forward..."  
That's when Rose heard the most wonderful sound. Martha was laughing.  
"What", the Master said impatiently. "What's so funny?"  
"A gun", Martha answered, amused look on her brave face.  
"What about it?"  
"A gun in four parts?" Martha mocked.  
"Yes, and I destroyed it", the Master snapped, his patient near its end.  
"A gun in four parts scattered across the world?" Martha said more and more amused. "I mean, come on, did you really believe that?"

Rose sighed in relief. That's what she had been thinking!  
"What do you mean?" the Master asked.  
"As if I would ask her to kill", the Doctor said. Rose felt a wave of proud and love while he spoke. She should've trusted he had another plan.  
"Oh well, it doesn't matter. I've got her exactly where I want her", the Master said but his eyes fixed on Rose, who smiled.

"What?" he asked but Rose shook her head.

"Nothing. I'm just proud of them", the answered. The Master frowned and opened his mouth when Martha interruped him.  
"But I knew what professor Docherty would do. The Resistance knew about her son. I needed her to get me here in the right time.  
"Oh, but you're still going to die!" the Master said and Rose saw how his patient snapped. He was nervous as he didn't know what was going on.  
"Don't you want to know what I was doing, travelling the world?"

"I do", Rose said grinning from her place.  
"Tell me", the Master said, trying to sound bored.  
"I told a story, that's all. No weapons, just words. I did just what the Doctor said. I went across the continents all on my own. And everywhere I went, I found the people, and I told them my story. I told them about the Doctor", there was a small crack on her voice when she said that. "And I told them to pass it on, to spread the word so that everyone would know about the Doctor."  
"Faith and hope? Is that all?" the Master taunted. But Rose knew there was something more. Something brilliant.  
"No, because I gave them an instruction, just as the Doctor said", Martha continued, standing up. No one tried to stop her, everyone was listening carefully, even the Master.  
"I told them that if everyone thinks of one word, at one specific time..."  
"...nothing will happen", the Master said. Rose heard a pure fear in his voice but she doubted no one else did. "Is that your weapon? Prayer?"  
"Right across the world, in word, just one thought at one moment but with fifteen satellites", Martha continued like there hadn't been any interruption. Her voice was rising, her face lit up. She looked wonderful and amazing and Rose decided that she liked her.  
"What?" the Master asked, and now the fear was recognizable.  
"The Archangel Network", Jack said slowly and Rose turned to look at him. He was smiling.  
"A telepathic field binding the whole human race together, with all of them, every single person on Earth, thinking the same thing at the same time. And that word is Doctor", Martha ended, not once looking away from the Master, and there was a proud smile on her lips.  
The countdown hit zero. The room started to shake. Ties around Doctor's wrists and anckles opened and he started to shine.

"Stop it", the Master paniced. "No, no, no, no, you don't."  
Everyone in the room started to say Doctor's name out load. The croud in the monitors were repeating his name. Rose closed her eyes.

"Doctor", she whispered and it felt so important to say it. Panic and horror in Master's voice made her open her eyes again. The Master was backing off from the approaching Doctor.

"Doctor", Lucy said and Rose's eyes fixed on her for the first time since they had come into the room. She was pale and the makeup didn't quite cover the black sircle around her eye. Rose felt her stomack drop.  
"I've had a whole year to tune myself into the psychic network and integrate with its matrices", the Doctor told to the Master who was reaching for the laster screwdriver from his pocket.  
"I order you to stop!" he shouted.  
"The one thing you can't do. Stop them thinking", there was a hint of dispate in his words. "Tell me the human race is degenerate now, when they can do this."

Like to empathise his words the Valiant shook again.  
"No!" the Master yelled and fired the screwdriver at the Doctor. Rose shouted, but it didn't work, the ray hit the shining energy field and died there.  
"Then I' ll kill her", the Master said, pointing the screwdriver at Rose but quickly turning it to Martha. Suddenly the weapon flew away and Rose looked at the Doctor, whose hand was reached out.  
"You can't do this. You can't do it. It's not fair!" the Master said, near tears. "I have to try! I... Rose! Please Rose..."

She ran towards him but the Doctor was there first and she knew, just knew, he wouldn't hurt him.  
"You shouldn've listented", the Doctor said as the shining field around him dissapeared. "If not me then Rose."

The Master curled against the wall. He looked so vurnerable and small and the Doctor kneeled next to him, wrapped his hands around him.

"And still I forgive you", he said.

"Rose..." the Master whimpered and Rose was just about to go to them before the room shook once again and she lost her balance for a second. The spheres flew around, repeating something abput protecting the paradox, and Doctor stood up.  
"Captain, the paradox machine!" he said and Jack held himself up.  
"You men, with me! You stay here", he ordered and was gone before Rose realized what he was about to do. The Master had stood up and came to Rose.

"Come on", he said, grabbed her hand and, just as the Doctor saw what he was doing, pushed the button of the manipulator. The room turned upside-down, all the air ran out of her lungs and then the view came clear again. She was standing on a hill, outside, and down in the valley there were thousands of rockets.  
"So you said it ends, Rose", he breathed out. "Now it ends!"

"What are you gonna do?" Rose asked gently. "Launch them? Kill us all?"

"If I can't have this world then no one can!" he answered. "Especially not the Doctor! He shall watch as it burns!"

"Then you will die", Rose said. "And I will die. There will be nothing left, Master. No one wins."

"Not even the good", the Master said proudly. "See, Rose, the good doesn't win every time."

She stepped closer and the Master winched as she reached her hand out.

"You could win", she said, touching his cheek. "The other you, the one I know. He is a good man. He could win."

She felt his shiveres in her mind. She felt the fight that happened inside his, every hit and every scream. But her hand stayed on his cheek as she watched how his dark, evil, manic eyes turned into lightbrown and warm ones.


	21. Everything He Never Knew He Wanted

**A/N:** Thank you again for your comments, favorites and follows! Keep telling me what you think, I love reading your thoughts!

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

 **Everything He Never Knew He Wanted**

The sent them back on the Valiant. And as soon as they arrived Rose heard someone shout out her name. She turned to the voice and the Doctor dashed to her and pulled her into a hug.

"Oh god I was so worried!" he whispered to her hair. She felt it, too, his worry, and it was so pure and full of other, complicated emotions that it made her a bit dizzy. The Valiant started to shake once again, this time much violently than before, and the Doctor let go of Rose but took a firm hold of his hand.

"Everyone get down! Time is reversing!" he Doctor shouted, pulling Rose to the floor and smiled at her.

"What's happening?" she asked.

"The paradox machine is gone, we're going back in time to the day it woke up."

"What?"

It felt like they were spinning around, or that everything around them was spinning around, she couldn't really tell for sure. Then the shakeing eased down and slowly everyone stood up.

"We went back in time a year and a day", the Doctor informed everyone. "It's two minutes past eight in the morning, just after the president was killed, just before the spheres arrived."

Rose looked up at him with wonder.

"Everything's back to normal. Planet Earth restored. None of it happened. The rockets, the terror... it never was. And Rose is here", he smiled at her. "So everything's just like it should be."

"What about the spheres?" Martha asked and the Doctor turned to her.

"Trapped at the end of the universe."

"But I can still remember everything", Oliver said with a shakey voice.

"I'm sorry", Rose said, let go of Doctor's hand and went to him.

"We're at the eye of the storm", the Doctor told them. "The only ones who'll ever know."

"That's awful", Rose said silently. She turned to look at the Master who was sitting on the floor, completely broken, and went to him. She felt so sorry for him that moment, more sorry than she had ever been.

"So", Jack's voice came as he stepped in. "What do we do with the Master?"

"We kill him", Oliver said immidiately, raseing his gun.

"No!" Rose protested. "That's not what we do!"

"Oh shut up, will you", he snapped. "Just because of the stocholm syndrome you shouldn't stand up for him! He deserves to die!"

"No", the Doctor said, stepping to Oliver. "Rose is right. You're better than that", he continued, reaching Oliver's eyes. "Killing him only makes you like him."

Slowly, hesitantly, Oliver put the gun down.

"What happenes to me then?" the Master asked from the floor. "I would kill me. That would be better for everyone."

His voice was bitter and hopeless. He didn't even look up.

"You're my resposibility from now on", the Doctor said. "The only time lord left in existence."

"Yeah, but you can't trust him", Jack pointed out.

"I trust him", Rose said to Jack. He narrowed his eyes worriedly but she didn't care. "I guarantee he won't hurt anyone ever again."

The Doctor was shakeing his head silently.

"The only safe place for him is the TARDIS", he said. The Master's head snapped up.

"You mean you're just going to keep me?" he said in dispate. Rose could saw how he changed, how the other him took a control as he stood up. The Doctor nodded slightly.

"Mmm, if I have to. Maybe I've been wondering for too long. Now I've got someone to care for."

Rose opened her mouth but the question didn't come out. She was scared. What if he didn't want her anymore? Her thoughts were cut off as she saw Lucy standing up, a gun pointed at the Master.

"No!" she shouted as she turned and tried to jump in front of the bullet. She was too late, the Master was falling backwards. "No, no no!"

Tears filled her eyes as he reached the floor. The Doctor chaught him, looking pale.

"I got you", he said as Rose kneeled beside them. Oh, there was so much blood. She pressed her hands to the wound, trying to stop the bleeding.

"I'm sorry, I didn't see her," the Doctor said.

"It's always the woman", the Master coughed. "Rose was right."

The Master groaned in pain.

"Come on, it's just a bullet", the Doctor said. Rose could hear the desperation in his voice as he held the Master. "Just regenerate."

"And live my life watching by as you have everything I never thought I wanted?" the Master managed to say. He coughed and few drops of blood appeared on his lips. A silent sob escaped from Rose's lips.

"She's... amazing... isn't sh-e?" his words were filled with pain. "Don't hurt... her."

He coughed and more blood bleeding from his mouth.

"Rose?"

His eyes looked for her and she grabbed his seeking hand.

"I'm here", she whispered. "I'm right here."

"You tried to... stop it... for me."

"Ofcourse I did", Rose answered, squeezing his hand. There was so much blood, her hands were soacked with it.

"I can't... hear them... any... more. The drums..."

"The bullet hit you on the heart", Rose told him through her tears. "And the other one has slowed down."

"So you were right", he said, his eyes fixed in hers. "Evil never wins..."

"No, don't do this", Rose said. "Just regenerate. Please."

He blinked and groaned again. She saw his mind ripping apart, everything shattered and turned into emptiness. It scared her.

"I'm dying... in your arms... no better place to..."

"Please", Rose cried, touching his cheek.

"I'm sorry", he said in a raspy voice. The tears dropped from her eyes but she managed to smile.

"I forgive you", she whispered and bent to kiss his sweaty, cold forehead. He sighed one last time, his grip of her hand loosened and his eyes closed.

"He... is... is he?" the Doctor asked, looking at Rose and still holding the Master.

"I'm sorry, Doctor", she said. His violent sobs cut the silence in the room. Rose felt like doing the same,just let go and cry, but she didn't. She knew that Master's death hurt him as much as her, if not more. His death left the Doctor alone again. So she stood and moved away as the Doctor pulled Master's body to his lap, embranced it, rocking back and forward, crying heartbrokenly. Rose dried tears from her face, forgetting her hands were covered with blood. She turned to look at them.

"Why didn't you say anything", she muttered to the Bad Wolf but didn't get an answer. She went to Jack and hugged him thigtly.

"I'm sorry", she whispered into his neck.

"Don't go blameing yourself", he said, hugging her back. "We already got one of those", he pulled of and wiped blood from her cheeks, smiled. "Besides, because of you my last five months in here weren't as bad as the seven first."

She gave him a teary smile before turning to Martha.

"You were brilliant", she said. "You saved the world."

"I did, didn't I", Martha said and smiled. "You weren't so bad either."

Rose shook her head.

"I didn't do anything", she said.

"Oh come on! You tried to stop the bullet that was meant to the Master! That's pretty hughe if you ask me."

Rose glanced at the still crying Doctor and back again.

"He was my friend", she said silenlty. "And I loved him."

####

Rose washed her hands and face and, after a short while, went to the Doctor. She kneeled down beside him and laid her hand on his shoulder. He turned to look at her and she smiled a little.

"Hey", she said and wiped the marks of the tears away from his face.

"Hey", he answered in a hoarse voice. He cleared his throat. "Hello."

She turned to look at the body and took a deep breath.

"We should bury him", she said.

"We should burn him", the Doctor corrected. "Time lord DNA... it's too dangerous to leave like that. If someone gets ones hands in it..."

It sounded awul and sad and horrible but Rose knew now wasn't the time to think of that. Now was time to be practical.

"So we need to get rid of the body", she said and the Doctor nodded.

So the Doctor and Jack moved the body into the TARDIS. Rose and Martha joined them and the Doctor started silenlty set the coordinates. Martha sat on the jumpseat and Rose was leaning against the coral next to her. She looked at her looking at the Doctor and regocnized the look in her eyes.

"You love him", she said. Martha smiled sadly.

"More than anything", she answered. "But he doesn't love me back. At least not the way I want him to."

Rose smiled and turned to look at the thin, tall man moving around the console.

"Been there", she said. But Martha turned to look at her in surprise.

"You don't know, do you?" she asked. "Thought you did... after him talking about you all the time, saying you two were together..." she smiled at her but there were tears in her eyes. "You're the one for him. So don't go breaking his hearts, okay? 'Cause if you do you have me to answer to."

Rose felt her pulse thicken for her words and she smiled.

"I will never ever leave him", she said.

"Never say never ever", Doctor's voice said and both of the girls jumped in surprise.

"Never say that to me again", Rose said. "It had a bad echo in it."

"Where are we?" Jack asked.

"I dropped you home", the Doctor answered, looking at Martha. "Go and say hi to your family. They saw you were shot at. I think they are terrified right now."

She nodded, jumped down from the seat and went to the door.

"Guess you two want some alone time", Jack said and followed Martha out.

"So", the Doctor said, as the door closed. "We have furneral to go to. I mean... if you want to come with me?"

"I do", Rose said immidiately. The Doctor smiled unsurely at her as he changed the coordinates again.

#####

The Master was laying on the top of the bonfire that was to become his final grave. Rose swollowed tears. He looked so peaceful. She took his hand one more time into hers.

"I'm gonna miss you", she whispered. That's when it happened. The Bad Wolf showed her something she rather wouldn't see.

Someone picking up Master's ring from the ash.

The Master, reborn, his bones flashing through his skin, laughing.

"He will knock for times."

She gasped and pulled her hand away.

"No", she said and broke into tears. "No, no no no!"

"Rose? What is it? What did you see?"

She started to cry and he immidiately pulled her into a hug. She felt his comforting presence in her mind, questions of what had happened, but she didn't let him see the images.

"How can you do this?" she sobbed against his chest. "How can you make the decision about which of all the possibilities should come true?"

"What did you see?" the Doctor asked again. Rose shut her eyes tightly. She couldn't do this. She couldn't make decision like this. She couldn't. If the Master would return... she missed him, but if he would return... Then it happened again.

She pushing the Doctor aside, blasting a golden energy.

The Doctor dying, alone, in the TARDIS.

She opened her eyes and backed off several steps.

"Rose?" the Doctor asked, in consern. She shook her head and quickly, before she would regret it, slipped the ring off Master's finger.

"What are you doing?" the Doctor asked.

"Rewriting time", she answered and held up her hand to stop the Doctor from asking any more questions. It was hard enough without them. Because when she had the ring the Master could never come back. And that was breaking her heart. She knew it was for the best, but it still hurt like hell.

"Ready?" he asked quietly, and as she nodded he reached the torch towards the bonfire. It flamed quickly and they backed off to watch it burn.

#####

They looked at the flames quietly, fire againt the dark sky. Rose wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. The Doctor turned to look at her.

"Rose", he began evenly. "I really don't get it. Why are you crying? He held you imprisoned, tortured and abused you..."

"No", Rose interrupted. "He never hurt me."

"I saw him -."

"No you didn't. He just let you believe he did. He never touched me."

Rose looked at the Doctor tears glimmering in her eyes.

"He just needed help. And he asked it from me. I felt sorry for him, he had suffered so long."

The Doctor looked at her and then the flames.

"You loved him", he said. Rose glanced at him, wondering what he meant.

"Yeah, I did", she said. "But not the way I love you", she added.

"You love me?" the Doctor asked. The hope was mixed with fear in his voice. Rose smiled to the flames.

"Never stopped."

The Doctor turned her to face him, putting his hands on her shoulders and letting them fall down her arms to her wrists and then he took her hands in his, paused and took a sharp breath.

"Before we go back to the TARDIS I need to say something. Or tell... I mean I do... That is that I am..." he cut of again.

"What?" Rose asked.

"Iloveyou", the Doctor blutred out. After the words had came out the smile came and he touched her cheek. "I love you", he said, slower. He bend closer.

"I", he said, kissing her forehead. "Love." Her nose. "You." he reached her lips.

The kiss was asking and almost shy. The tears that Doctor's words had brought into Rose's eyes dropped. The breathtaking feeling he sent to her got a name. When he pulled apart the smile in his face fell.

"You're crying", he said worriedly. "Was it that bad?"

Rose laughed and caused the rest of the tears to drop.

"No", she said. "I'm just so happy."

He began to smile.

"Yeah?"

"Find out yourself", she said, pulling him to another kiss. And there was no more questions in it as she put her hands in his neck and he wrapped his hands around her.

#####

Rose couldn't really tell how long the kiss lasted. She didn't even care. They had a time machine, they could be curled up like that a small eternity and it wouldn't matter.

"Guess we should go back to Jack and Martha", the Doctor said after a delicious while.

"Mmm", Rose hummed.

"It shouldn't take that long though. And we do need to go back to TARDIS before..." he cut off and Rose felt what he was thinking through their bond. "Anyway!" he continued. "They are waiting!"

He pulled her with him and closed the TARDIS doors.

#####

 **A/N:** Fun fact; this was the first chapter I wrote. So the story was always heading here. And I'm sorry, I truly am! Don't hate me because of what I did here! And please tell me if you do!


	22. Beginning of Something Great

**A/N:** I thought to post the epiloge early just because it's The End.

And about a sequal... I know that some of you have been at least thinking that I'll do one (I don't know if you want it now that the Master isn't there anymore. But still, Rose _does_ have the ring), and I have to admit that I've been thinking of it. But I'm not making any promises! I have other projects I should write. Like my novel. I really should write it and not run away from it by writin fanfiction. But if I do a sequal it's gonna take a while. And I'm still not promising you anything!

 **Disclaimer:** Last and final time, I don't own Doctor Who or any of it's characters.

 **A Beginning of Something Great**

"Time was, every single one of these people knew your name. Now they've all forgotten you", Martha mused. They were in Cardiff, near the rift. Jack had asked them to come there.

"Good", the Doctor said simply. He was holding Rose's hand, and she was enjoying the feeling of him in her mind. She would never get bored to this. She never wanted it to end.

"Back to work", Jack said. He looked at the three of them.

"I really don't mind, though", the Doctor smiled. "Come with us."

"I had plenty of time to think that past year", Jack said. "The year that never was, and I kept thinking about that team of mine. Like you said, Doctor, responsibility", he pausewd and winked at Rose. "Besides, I think you two have a lot to catch up with. Years and years of sexual tension to break. Although, I don't need to miss that if you -"

"Oi!"

Jack grinned.

"I have defending to do", he said then, more serious manner. "That team of mine, this planet of mine..."

"Defending the Earth. Can't argue with that", the Doctor admitted. He offered Jack his hand but when he took it he pulled it closer, sonicing the vortex manipulator on his wrist.

"Hey, I need that!" Jack protested.

"I can't have you walking around with a time travelling teleport. You could go anywhere, twice. The second time to apologise."

Rose giggled and she felt the Doctor's happiness of hearing that voice.

"And what about me?" Jack asked. "Can you fix that? Will I ever be able to die?"

"Nothing I can do. You're an impossible thing, Jack."

"Rose?" he asked, looking at her.

"I'll tell you if I ever learn how to do that", she answered and hugged him. He hugged Martha and jumped down the stairs, stopped and turned to them.

"But I keep wondering... What about aging? Because I can't die but I keep getting older. The odd little grey hair, you know? What happens if I live for a million years?"

The Doctor was keeping his laugh and Rose felt the same happiness of that feeling he had felt of hers.

"I really don't know."

"Okay, vanity. Sorry. Yeah, can't help it. Used to be a poster boy when I was a kid living on the Boeshane Peninsula. Tiny little place. I was the first one ever to be signed up for the Time Agency. They were so proud of me. The Face of Boe, they called me", he hummed.

"I'll see you."

He waved and was off his way. Rose felt the same amazement and confuse as the Doctor.

"No", she and the Doctor said in union.

"It can't be", Martha said, as astonished as them.

"No. Definitely not. No. No", the Doctor said, and this time he laughed.

 **#####**

Rose, Martha and the Doctor were in the TARDIS and the Doctor was his usual, overactive self. But Rose knew there was something behind it, and she also knew what.

 **"** Right then, off we go. The open road. There is a burst of starfire right now over the coast of Meta Sigmafolio. Oh, the sky is like oil on water. Fancy a look? Or back in time. We could, I don't know, Charles the Second? Henry the Eighth. I know! What about Agatha Christie? I'd love to meet Agatha Christie. I bet she's brilliant!" he stopped as he looked at Martha. "Okay", he said. Rose looked at her as well.

"I just can't", Martha said.

"Yeah."

"It's okay, Martha", Rose said. "I don't mind if you come. But it's okay if you want to go as well."  
Martha smiled at her.

"I just... I think there are those few people who still remember... And I spent all those years to become a doctor. They might need help. I can't leave them alone."

"Of course not", the Doctor said hastly. He stopped for a while and smiled. "Thank you. Martha Jones, you saved the world. "

"Yes, I did", she said a confident smile on her face. "I spent a lot of time with you thinking I was second best, but you know what? I am good", she looked at the two of them, but mostly the Doctor. "You going to be all right?"

"Always. Yeah."

"You've got Rose now", she said. The Doctor looked at the Rose and smiled fondly.

"Yeah, I do."

Martha hesitated before she talked again.

"You know... the thing is that it was hard enough to travel with you two when you weren't here", she said, looking at Rose. "I just don't think I could make it. Not right now, at least."

Rose stepped closer and hugged her.

"You're wonderful", she said to her ear. "Someone will be very lucky to have you."

"Thank you. I can see why he loves you."

They pulled apart and Martha waved to the Doctor,who had stepped closer and taken Rose's hand back into his. Then she stopped again, took her selfphone and threw it to the Doctor. He captured it quite nicely with just one hand.

"Keep that, because I'm not having you disappear", she said. "And I think it's time for you to have one. In case you two get ripped apart again. Not that it's likely, as it doesn't seem like you're ever going to let go of her hand", there was surprisinly little bitterness in her voice. "And if that rings, when that rings, you'd better come running. Got it?"

The Doctor smiled.

"Got it."  
Martha went to the door and opened it. She grinned back at them.

"I see you two again", she said before stepping out.

#####

The door closed and the Doctor jumped to the console.

"Gah, can you feel that? The air is somehow a bit elecrtic, and dry, and uhg, that smell... Must me side-effects from the paradox. Shoudl ease after a few trips. Still, makes my clothes shrink."

He took off his pinstriped coat and hand it next to the one he got from Janis Joplin.

"Oh, Rose Tyler!" he said joyfully as he took a few jumpy steps towards her. "Long time since I asked this from you! Where do you want to go? Pablo Picasso could me a portrait of you. Or Renoir! I'd like his portrait of you better, he can really capture the person. Oh! We could go and see the born of Rose Galaxy!" he fell quiet as he saw Rose's face. "You don't want to come either", he said.

"How can you even think something like that after what we just talked about an hour ago?"

"I just thought..." he hesitated. "That mayde you're mad at me... because I couldn't save him."

Rose's heart ached and she took a deep breath to stop herself crying. She felt the ring in her pockets and plaed with it for a while.

"He decided to die", she said slowly. "It was no ones fault", she looked at him carefully. "Besides, it's not easy for you either, any of it. Martha left, the Master died... it must be so empty in your head again."

He stepped closer, pushing her hair away from her face and letting his hand to rest on her neck.

"It's not empty when I touch you", he said silently. She felt him sigh in her mind.

"Still", she said.

"Oh, you know me, I'm alright."

"No, you're not", Rose said. "And I'm not either. But it's okay. It's okay to be not alright."

He looked at her.

"You're different", he said. She titled her head.

"Good different or bad different?"

He laughed and she grinned widely.

"And you know what?" she asked, rised to her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around her neck. "We will be alright. We have each other and all the time and space to help us."

His hands found her waist and he kissed her softly. His lips were smooth and cool and it was delicious in a strange way. She wondered if his mouth was as cool as his skin. Just to try it she parted her lips to deepen the kiss. She felt him surprise plesantly. His mouth wasn't cold, she noticed, or cool, but warm and he tasted like something she had never tasted before, something really alien, and she decided that she liked that taste. Rose seeked from his mind whether he was thinking the same thing. He was, as far as she knew, and he also was pouring so much affection and love to her that it almost hurt. She had never thought that this was how love _felt_ like.

"Me neither", he said out load, against her lips.

"Oh, I hate it when you do that", she mumbled throught the kisses. He chuckled lowly and pulled her closer to him.

"No you don't."

"Shut up."

She broke the kiss for a while to see what her hands where doing.

"Umm... Rose? What are you doing?" he asked.

"Unbuttoning your shirt", she answered.

"Yeah, I can see that. But why?"

She gave him her wonderful grin and pulled the hem of his jersey out of his trousers.

"Oh. Oh! No, Rose wait."

He took hold of her hands and she paniced. Had she misunderstood his feelings? She was quite new at this.

"Sorry", she muttered, pulling her hands out. "I just thought... that... never mind."

She turned away from him to hide her embarasment. He came closer.

"No, it's not that I wouldn't want to", he said, wrapping his arms around her waist behind, letting her feel what he wanted. "You _know_ I do. I'm just scared that it happens too soon. That maybe we should wait."

She started to smile again.

"Oh you foolish Doctor of mine", she said, turning her head to see him. "I've waited for seven years. I don't want to wait another day."

#####

 **A/N:** And in the end I want to thank you all for being with me the whole time or part of the time or reading it after I've finished it or anything to do with this. It's been great journey and I'm happy that I could share it with you all! I hope you enjoyed it at least half as much as I did!


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